'JiSi:^ 


m 


"    I 


^ 


lEx  ICthns 


SEYMOUR    DURST 


-f  '  'Tort  nwiiw   ^m/ferdam'  o^  <^<?  MatJiatarts 


FORT     KEW    AM.STERX)AAY 


^ 


(nev/york).    1651. 


When  you  leave,  please  leave  this  hook 

Because  it  has  heen  said 
"Sver  thing  comes  t'  him  who  waits 

Except  a  loaned  hook." 


\\V      Ui   <C<JlltU:>  li      I  \\ 


V\  (     lili  VAIIIMA  II     I  11 


AviKY  Architectural  and  Fine  Arts  Library 
Gift  of  Skymour  B.  Durst  Old  York  Library 


1 


I 


I 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2013 


http://archive.org/details/chroniclesoferasOOeras 


0  ff^'lV?' 


Copyright,   iqo6 

BY    THE 

General  Organization 

Erasmus  Hall  High   School 

Brooklyn 


preface 


/yi^HE  story  of  Erasiiuis  Hall  as  an  academy,  from  1787  to  1896,  when 
IIL  it  became  a  part  of  the  public  educational  system  of  the  city  of  Brook- 
lyn, is  in  a  large  measure  the  story  of  the  secondary  education  of 
this  country.  It  is  the  story  of  the  earnest  efforts  of  cultured  and  self- 
sacrificing  men  and  women  who,  as  trustees,  principals  and  teachers  have 
devoted  time  and  means  and  energy  to  the  best  and  most  elevating  interests 
of  this  community.  There  are  few  of  the  old  fannlics  in  this  region  whose 
sons  and  daughters  did  not  receive  a  part  of,  and  in  many  cases  all,  their 
formal  education  in  the  old  Hall.  At  least  three  college  presidents,  many  lead- 
ing scientists,  and  men  learned  in  the  professions,  have  been  among  its 
instructors;  while  enrolled  among  its  students  have  been  leaders  in  Church 
and  State,  and  captains  in  the  industrial  world,  who  liave  looked  back  to 
this  institution  with  its  stately  trees  and  broad  stretches  of  lawn,  as  the 
inspiration  for  their  later  achievements. 

While  no  history  of  education  in  this  country  has  been  without  references 
to  the  work  and  standing  of  the  school,  its  complete  history  has  never  been 
written,  and  much  of  it  has  been  already  lost  in  the  overwhelming  growth 
and  development  of  later  years ;  and  so  those  who  have  taken  upon  them- 
selves the  responsibility  of  carrying  on  the  work,  so  well  performed  during 
all  these  years,  have  felt  that  as  the  institution  is  about  to  leave  the  familiar 
old  quarters  for  the  larger  opportunities  ofifercd  1)y  a  century  of  progress,  a 
tribute  to  the  past  should  be  paid. 

Proud  of  the  glorious  history  of  the  Academy,  and  proud  of  its  high 
achievements,  the  present  teachers  and  pupils  trust,  through  the  inspiration 
to  come  from  a  more  complete  knowledge  of  the  past,  to  be  able  to  add  new 
luster  to  the  name  and  fame  of  Erasmus  FTall.  Tn  the  making  of  this  volume 
especial  mention  must  be  made  of  the  tireless  efforts  of  its  principal  con- 
tributor. Dr.  Willis  Boughton,  who  for  many  years  has  made  the  collection 
of  this  historical  material  his  constant  aim,  and  who  has  given  to  the  task 
all  the  strength  and  efficiency  which  years  of  experience  along  similar  lines 
have  given  him ;  of  Mr.  Eugene  W.  Harter,  who,  as  head  of  the  classical 
department  from  the  establishment  of  the  High  School,  has  been  one  of  the 
leading  factors  in  its  later  growth  and  development;  of  Mr.  xAllen  B.  Doggett, 
the  chairman  of  the  art  department;  of  Mrs.  Mildred  McNeal-Sweeney,  for 
years  an  earnest  and  efficient  teacher;  of  Mr.  Charles  M.  Skinner,  a  prom- 
inent patron  and  active  supporter  of  the  school;  of  the  valuable  assistance 
rendered  by  the  officers  of  the  ^Academy,  who  have  placed  all  their  records  at 
the  disposal  of  the  committee,  and  by  personal  letters  and  earnest  encourage- 
ment and  co-operation  have  done  all  in  their  power  to  make  this  work  a 
success ;  of  the  many  other  friends  of  the  school,  the  names  of  whom  are  so 
numerous  as  to  prevent  mention  here,  who  have  contributed  generously  of 
their  experience;  and,  finally,  of  our  whole  body  of  teachers  and  pupils,  old 
and  new,  who  with  accustomed  loyalty  have  upheld  our  hands  in  this,  as  in 
every  other  movement  of  interest  to  the  school.  To  one  and  all  we  beg  to 
express  our  sincere  thanks  and  appreciation. 

Brooklyn,  April  25,  1906. 


jforetoorti 


I  STORY  is  seldom  conscious  of  its  own  importance,  when 
it  is  in  the  making.  Therefore,  the  teachers  and  pupils  of 
Erasmus  Hall  do  not  realize  that  it  is  a  finer  institution,  now 
that  it  is  part  of  the  ]nihlic  school  system,  than  when  it  was  a  private 
enterprise,  twice  as  famous,  and  a  quarter  as  well  attended.  Excel- 
lence commanded  fame  in  those  davs  more  surelv  than  it  does  at 
present,  when  there  is  so  much  more  of  it.  We  have  leveled  our 
common  schools  up  to  a  point  where  thev  surpass  the  hest  of  the 
uncommon  ones  of  an  earlier  generation.  Contrasting  my  own 
experience  with  that  of  the  youngsters  who  are  at  their  books  to-day, 
T  am  struck  by  this  radical  difference :  that,  whereas  I  was  driven 
to  my  studies,  the  boy  in  Erasmus  Hall  goes  willingly,  and  even 
with  enthusiasm,  and  has  a  loyalty  to  his  teachers,  his  class  and  the 
institution  that  could  not  comport  with  the  severities  w^hich  were 
once  supposed  to  be  at  the  foundation  of  learning. 

And  here  we  see  a  reason  for  the  difference.  Learning!  That 
was  the  old  standard.  It  was  not  education.  The  old  w^ay  was  to 
crowd  facts  into  the  student.  The  new  way  is  to  get  him  to  seek 
the  facts  himself.  We  stood  in  a  line  and  sing-songed  our  lessons, 
and  had  a  black  mark  ])ut  against  us  if  we  deviated  from  the  text. 
Nice  wa\',  that,  to  develo])  reason  and  individuality!  Later  the 
folly  of  it  became  too  apparent  to  endure,  and  the  i)upil  was  taught 
to  recite  in  his  own  language.  1diis  showed  that  he  knew  what  he 
was  talking  al)out  ;  whereas  if  he  repeated  words,  like  other  ])arrots, 
it  might  indicate  that  he  had  not  the  least  idea  what  they  meant. 
The  teacher  in  old  times  did  not  ba\e  to  know  nuich.  He  held  a 
book,  and  saw  that  the  scholar  recited  the  sentences,  and  if  the 
unha])pv  varUt  put  in  a  word  which  was  not  there,  he  was  walloped. 
Oh,  the  welts  1  have  carried  home,  for  unwitting  substitutions  of 
my  own  language  for  that  of  some  personage  who  had  got  into 
print,  and  knew  a  vast  deal  more  about  his  facts  and  his  vernacular 


€l)rDnicIe-8?  of  €ta^mu^  !paH  7 

than  I  ever  could,  or  will !  There  is  another  mark  in  the  advance : 
there  are  no  punishments  ;  at  least,  none  that  puts  the  scholar  in 
fear ;  but  there  is  what  is  better :  he  is  put  on  his  honor  as  a  si)eaker 
of  truth  and  a  gentleman,  and  one  lives  up  to  a  trust  a  good  deal 
more  surely  than  he  lives  down  to  other  people's  expectations. 

It  has  seemed  to  me  that  some  of  the  credit  obtained,  and 
deservedly,  by  Erasmus  Hall,  has  been  due  in  the  past  to  its  situa- 
tion. It  was  isolated  from  disturbing  and  dissipating  influences, 
and  it  has  the  guarantee  of  a  partial  continuance  of  its  liberties. 
Some  day  the  city  will  buy  the  entire  square  on  which  it  stands  for 
a  campus  that  will  enhance  its  architectural  dignity,  and  will  afiford 
room  and  measurable  quiet  for  its  classes.  I  fear  for  its  usefulness 
if  this  is  not  done,  for  in  time  Flatbush  will  be  covered  from  the 
park  to  the  sea  wath  ten-story  flats,  and  there  will  be  no  sun,  no 
air  and  no  repose,  except  in  just  such  reservations  as  we  must  secure 
about  our  public  buildings. 

It  is  in  relative  isolation  that  intellectual  work  becomes  fruitful, 
and  here  we  find  a  reason  for  the  supremacy  of  Erasmus  Hall 
among  the  schools  of  the  city :  the  scholar  has  been  detached  ;  he 
has  been  so  happily  environed  that  he  could  put  his  mind  upon  his 
work ;  in  this  removal  from  the  busy  districts  of  the  town  it  is 
natural  that  the  scholars  and  teachers  should  form  a  more  complete 
sodality,  that  there  should  exist  an  implicit  mutual  and  self  reliance, 
that  time  should  avail  for  study  which  in  some  institutions  is 
wasted  in  formalities  and  excitements.  Two  of  my  sons  have  been 
students  in  this  school,  and  their  progress  has  been  a  matter  not 
merely  for  pride  but  astonishment,  for  I  have  constantly  fallen  into 
the  way  of  contrasting  their  advance  with  my  own  experiences,  a 
few  years  earlier. 

It  seems  to  me  that  the  supreme  worth  of  education,  as  it  is 
forwarded  in  this  oldest  of  our  academies,  is  that  it  develops 
individuality,  whereas,  under  the  obsolete  systems  of  my  youth  the 
tendency  was  to  crush  it.  Our  way  is  to  mass  in  such  numbers  that 
the  individual  is  submerged  ;  we  are  governed,  not  merely  as  to 
laws,  but  in  our  faiths  and  customs  and  politics  and  thinking,  by 


8 


Clironiclcs  of  aJraaniu.i^  l^all 


averages,  whereas  we  slionld  l)e  governed  by  ideals;  and  it  is  to 
the  purpose  that,  at  least  in  this  school,  the  pupil  hnds  strengthening 
for  a  ])ersonality  that  nature  devised  for  the  better  service  of  man- 
kind, since  it  is  always  the  individual,  and  never  the  multitude,  that 
leads,  teaches,  inspires,  reforms  and  recreates. 

Erasmus  Hall  to-day  is  doing  a  service  e(|ual  to  that  of  Harvard 
a  century  ago.  and  looking  not  far  into  the  future  I  see  its  useful- 
ness still  increasing:  1  see  its  scientific  and  literar\-  collections  taking 
form,  its  teaching  force  increased,  its  curriculum  diversified,  its 
material  being  enhanced  in  beauty,  its  walls  covered  with  works  of 
art;  I  see  public  s])irit  among  its  alumni  ])r()\ing  itself  in  gifts  and 
endowments.  It  will  continue  to  be  a  jo\-  and  a  privilege  to  enter 
its  doors.  And  from  it,  every  _\ear.  will  gradu.ate  bo_\s  and  girls 
who  are  destined,  through  its  training,  to  take  high  ])lace  in  the 
world  :  but  whatever  their  stations,  1  am  sure  that  among  their 
happiest  memories  will  be  those  of  ])upilage  under  Dr.  Ciunnison 
and   his   earnest  and   able  associates.      1    |)ay   a   cheerful   homage  to 

Erasmus  Hall. 

Cii.\Ri.i:s  M.   Skixxi-.k. 


.*<- 


^''^.^m 


Commemoration  |doem 

Cfjc  Jfounbing  of  (Crasmus  J^all,  iioUcmbcr   17,  1787 


Summons;  tuitljout  a  name, 

Jf  lame  tfjat  no  epe  map  gee, 

Coucf)  tljat  no  man  felt  asi  it  came 

Asking  l)ig  congtancp— 

3n  tfje  Ijeartg  of  men  it  tiurneb 

Hons  £iinee,  anb  continually 

St  lightens  anti  liftg  in  promise— 

0\}tv  tueafenesigesi  tuept  anb  gpurneb, 

0\}tv  courage  loon  fjarbilp— 

iilafeing  fjour  bp  fjour  tlje  immortal  claim 

Cfjat  toe  follolo— cast  all  befjinb  us;  anb  folloto— 

jf oHoUj  tije  leab  of  tije  flame. 

iilan'g  poor  £ielf  Still  musit  crabe 

Cfje  serene  anb  ultimate  sigfjt, 

^nb  must  in  beSire  outbrabe 

Cbe  bull  beart,  tfje  toeafe  bobp,  tfje  nigljt 

^brougij  tfje  long  busk  of  fjis  breams 

^  toonber  floobing  of  ligfjt 

Jfar  off.  Sets  a  mark  for  tfje  journep: 

^nb  fje  takes  tfje  patfj  as  it  gleams 

^long  fielbs  of  stubble  anbbligfjt, 

^ast  I3oubt  btuelling  bark  in  fjis^  bitter  cabe, 

^nb  toils  on,  footsore  pet  eber  untoearp 

l^itfj  rain=UJorn  mantle  anb  knotteb  stabe. 

3rt  toas  So  tfje  ;^eekers  of  olb 

&pt  toatcfj  nigf)t=long  toitf)  a  star 

0i  flame  on  tfje  busk  anb  golb 

(Bi  tfje  lanb.    Y^erp  lustrous  anb  far, 

Higfjting  tfje  steep  of  tfje  bill* 

3t  summoneb  men  fortb  to  tuar 

0n  tfje  easp  slotfj  of  tfje  spirit 

Coo  long  suffereb;    anb  still 

Cfje  sbining  spaces  unbar 

Cfjeir  beautp,  Inben  men  atoake  anb  are  bolb 

^S  men,  in  rcqiueSt  of  tfte  infinite  toisbom 

Clje  bjonber  not  to  be  tolb. 


10  €{)ronicle^  of  €rai6?mu.e?  l^all 


Jfaitfjful  tfjesie  unnumbereb  pears^, 

^teabfast,  tualking  alone 

0n  ti)t  tuap,  pa£(s;  tije  militant  Seerg— 

taking  no  pri^e  for  tfjeir  otun 

^abe  tije  obercoming  of  boubt, 

Cbanting  sfbjeet  tone  on  tone 

^  jopous  faitb  in  tbeir  bision, 

Carbing  tfjeir  beautp  out 

Jfrom  tJje  bjaiting  tobite  of  tbe  stone, 

(^lab  toben  tbe  great  busik  gomebJbat  clears, 

^nb  out  of  tbe  lobelp,  neber4ogt  ligbt 

^i)t  begireb  anstoer  nears;. 


Countle£^s;,  name  upon  name, 
iBo  recorb,  no  memorp  of  all 
W\)o  ran  tuitb  tbe  tordj  of  flame! 
|3agt  tbe  sicourge  anb  tbe  cup  of  gall 
^0  tbe  uttermost  neebp  sbore 
^i)tiv  ligbt  fleb  on,  out  of  tbrall; 
^nb  tbe  obermasitering  beautp, 
^bf  potoer  anb  tnonber  it  bore 
€nfeinbleb  in  palace  anb  ball 
^nb  but  anb  among  all  men  tbe  same 
Jfire  of  arbor,  flame  of  besire, 
Jfear  of  tbe  bullarb's  sbantf. 


J^ames  toe  bolb  for  a  cbarm 

^nb  utter  tuitb  reberent  breatb, 

i^ames  to  bib  \)eavt^  tbrill  tuarm 

W\)tvt  tbep  stanb,  outlibing  beatb  - 

IDbibiaS,  ;^appbo,  J)omer— 

\Tain  is  tbe  fabing  Uireatb 

Wo  crobjn  tbe  abibing  presence— 

Colomba,  !clugustine,  !lllfreb, 

iHen  of  tbe  UieSt  Uibo  bequeatb 

IDitb  glorjp  of  soul  anb  migbt  of  arm 

Wi)tmit{\}t9i,  for  ligbt  courageous,  continual, 

lligbt  to  outlast  t\)t  last  great  barm. 


Cl)ronicle30?  of  (fira^mu^  l^all  n 


Beab  tf)i£J  manp  a  pear  — 
^ijafecsfpeare  tuiti)  tofjom  toe  bream, 
Bante  toitfj  tofjom  toe  fear,— 
^et  tofjen  bib  t\)tv  pass  tf)e  stream? 
^nb  tofjen  pasisieb  tfje  man  tofjo  flung 
learning  like  largesis  of  golb  agleam, 
JBage  upon  printeb  page  to  all  peopled? 
IS^fjen  last  fjag  ^cfjuliert  sung 
Strains  trigfjt  as  tfje  bap's  oton  beam? 
^nb  li^rotoning— boes  Ije  not  pace  near, 
i^anlp  anb  great,  tofjen  men  for  a  little 
i^roto  atoearp  anb  tofjisper  of  fear? 


^nb  tf)e  loftp  spirit  of  one, 

Jfrom  an  ible  lanb  tfje  tofjile 

Hping  pleaseb  toitlj  its  Hittlebone  — 

J^oto  it  came    long  since— manp  a  mile 

l^esttoarb  tfjrougfj  malice  of  mist  anb  foam! 

^nb  tfje  i^ame,  tlje  libing  i^ame,  Erasmus, 

itlafees  fjere  more  generous  fjome 

Jfor  a  people  in  long  exile  — 

(^itjes  soul  to  tfje  great  life  bail?  begun 

^neto,  neber  toearp,  neber  bull,  neber  aging 

Jfrom  splenbib  fatfjer  to  splenbib  son. 


;llnb  fjere  tfje  ligfjt  libes,  neber  bimmeb 

^fjese  manp  anb  faitfjful  pears: 

Hong  since  its  glorp  fjas  brimmeb 

Cfje  first  lamp  ober,  past  fears 

^nb  foes  anb  ills  as  tfjep  came. 

^nb  Still  to  all  listeners 

Hopal  men  anb  lobing  toomen 

3)ealouslp  guarbing  tfje  flame, 

proclaim  tfje  treasure  it  bears, 

letting  free  tfje  trutfj,  glab  tvth,  poung  limbeb, 

^nb  toorfeing  all,  master  anb  learner  togetfjer 

Jfor  trutl)— glab  bream  tfjat  tfje  toorlb  f)as  fjpmneb. 


12  Cfjroniclci^  of  <eta^mu^  l^all 


Hifee  cfjilbren  ttjftosie  brief  timtsi  pasfsf 

3Fn  little  labors;,  men  go 

l^itb  tuintjg  anb  birbg  anb  tfje  grasis; 

^nb  great  flotuersi  all  abloto 

Xerosis!  tbe  unenbing  fielb. 

^bep  gatber  tbe  blooms  tbep  fenoto 

J^ut  still  come  an  bunbreb  otbers, 

i^ameless  anb  lobelp,  anb  pielb 

Cfje  stoeet  breatb,  tbe  fair  color  agloto: 

^nb  a  bunbreb,  lobelier  still.  Surpass 

CboSe  tbat  tbep  bolb  tnitb  Ujonber,  anb  beckon 

^nb  call,  far  off,  in  tjje  blotning  grass. 

^nb  toe  folloto,  baring  tbe  stain 

(Bi  tbe  journep;  garmenteb  toell 

3\\  patience,  careless  of  pain, 

Wt  folloto,  impatient  to  tell 

^traigbttoap  anb  far  abroub,  tobat  trutb, 

W\)tit  toisbom,  beautp,  beligbt,  toe  spell 

0nt  of  tbe  infinite  closeb  book 

3ln  tbe  simple  lessons  of  poutb. 

JHut  eber  one  more  sentinel 

ileeps  toatcb  on  tbe  toap;    anb  tobo  sfjall  attain 

Cbe  enb  of  tbe  bifficult,  beautiful  roab 

^nb  count  as  i)i&  oton  tbe  last  brigbt  gain? 

Summons  toitbout  a  name, 
Jflame  tbat  no  epe  map  see, 
Coucb  tbat  no  man  felt  as  it  came 
Compelling  bis-  constancp- 
^till  botb  tbe  bobp  obep, 
€>r  fleetlp  or  lagginglp, 
(Tbe  call  of  tlje  eager  spirit; 
^nb  out  totoarb  tbe  ultimate  bap 
IDb^re  man's  poor  minb  Sball  be 
itlabe  perfect  foreUer,  past  frailtp,  fame, 
IDitb  toil,  toitb  ?op,  toitb  infinite  pearning 
Wt  folloto  tfjt  Icnb  of  tbe  flame. 

—Mildred  I.  McNcnl-Swcciicv 


Dr.  John  11.  Livingston. 


Cljronicles 


of 


Crasmus  Hall  ^icaUemp 

1787^X896 

Willie  S^ousftton,  mM 


/ 


SnttotiuctiDn 

C RASMUS  HALL  is  a  public  high  school  of  the  New  York 
City  system,  located  in  Flatbush,  Borough  of  Brooklyn, 
Twenty-ninth  Ward,  Thirty-eighth  School  District,  near 
the  corner  of  Flatbush  and  Church  Avenues.  It  was  founded  in 
1787  as  a  private  academy.  In  1896  it  was  transferred,  as  a  gift 
of  its  Trustees,  to  the  City  of  Brooklyn.  At  the  consolidation  it 
passed  naturally  into  the  New  York  City  system.  Any  complete 
history  of  the  school  must  recognize  the  two  main  periods,  that 
of  the  Academy,  and  that  of  the  City  High  School ;  and  the 
Academy  may  be  best  pictured,  perhaps,  on  the  background  of 
the  history  and  the  environment  of  the  community  in  which  the 
school  is  located — Flatbush. 

Flatbush  is  located  somewhere  near  the  center  of  Kings  County, 
Long  Island.  When  the  Dutch  settlers  took  possession  of  that  ter- 
ritory, midway  between  the  East  River  and  the  sea,  it  was  a  flat, 
densely  wooded  tract,  appropriately  termed  Flatbush.  As  early  as 
1630  to  1634,  squatters  planted  their  cabins  in  these  forests;  but  in 
1636  the  Indian  owners  were  induced  to  deed  the  land  to  white 
settlers,  Wouter  Van  Twiller  receiving  a  large  parcel  of  it.  In  165 1 
Governor  Stuyvesant  completed  the  organization  by  g-ranting  to  the 
settlement  a  town  patent. 

In  aboriginal  times  there  had  been  an  Indian-path  running  in 
a  zigzag  course,  from  Jamaica  Bay,  through  the  forest,  to  the  East 
River.  This  trail  became  known  as  "Main  Road"  in  the  village  of 
Flatbush.  Crossing  this  road  at  unequal  angles,  the  settlers  estab- 
lished another  thoroughfare  which  they  familiarly  called  ''Cow 
Lane."  The  former,  through  the  changes  incident  to  environment 
and  prosperity,  has  become  dignified  by  the  name  of  Flatbush 
Avenue,  and  the  latter  by  that  of  Church  Avenue.  The  corners  at 
the  Cross-Roads  at  once  became  the  center  of  the  life  of  the  village. 

In  plotting  the  town,  it  was  thought  safest,  because  of  the  sav- 
ages, to  range  the  dwellings  as  close  to  one  another  as  might  be  along 
the  sides  of  Main  Road.     The  farms,  therefore,  were  laid  out  into 

2  17 


i8  Cf)rDnicIe.0  of  oEraismusf  l^all  SlcaDcmp 

forty-eight  lots,  averaging  twenty-seven  rods  in  width,  and  extend- 
ing to  the  east  or  to  the  west  to  the  distance  of  six  hundred  Dutch 
rods.  After  setting  aside  a  parcel  of  land  at  the  southwest  corner 
of  the  Cross-Roads  for  church  purposes,  and  converting  another 
parcel  into  a  "Common,"  the  remaining  tracts  were  apportioned  by 
lot  to  the  settlers. 

In  Revolutionary  times  Flatbush  seems  to  have  had  some  sym- 
pathy for  the  King's  cause ;  in  fact,  quite  a  proportion  of  her  in- 
habitants were  pronounced  Tories.  The  village  was  even  occupied 
by  British  forces.  The  King's  officers  were  very  popular  in  Flat- 
bush  society,  and  the  atmosphere  was  decidedly  frigid  for  any  who 
sympathized  with  the  patriotic  cause.  This  condition  of  affairs  led 
to  two  delightful  romances  that  have  an  indirect  connection  with 
Erasmus  Hall  Academy — one  the  story  of  Aquila  Giles,  and  the 
other  that  of  Bateman  Lloyd. 


W\)t  i^omance  of  Aquila  (^ilesi 

Every  one  has  noticed  the  avenue  of  white  pines  on  the  right 
side  of  Flatbush  as  you  go  toward  the  Bridge.  Until  quite  recent 
times,  a  fine  old  Colonial  house  stood  at  the  east  end  of  this  ever- 
green lane.  Even  now  it  may  be  seen  away  back  on  Bedford 
Avenue,  where  the  late  Dr.  Homer  L.  Bartlett  moved  it  when 
he  owned  the  property.  The  house  has  long  been  called  Melrose 
Abbey,  named  that  by  the  once  celebrated  actress,  Mrs.  Anna 
Cora  Mowatt,  who  resided  there.  The  romance  of  Aquila  Giles 
centers  around  this  old  house. 

In  Revolutionary  times  the  building  was  owned  by  a  Colonel 
Axtell,  a  violent  Tory,  who  not  only  welcomed  the  British  to 
Long  Island,  but  received  the  officers  as  guests  and  furnished 
them  royal  entertainment.  It  is  claimed  that  he  turned  the  cellar 
of  his  residence  into  a  prison  and  furnished  it  with  fetters  and 
chains  for  such  rebels  as  might  be  sent  to  him  by  the  British. 
When,  years  afterward,  the  bones  of  a  young  woman  were  found 
in  the  cellar,  unless  gossip  is  wrong,  there  was  foundation  for  the 
ghost  stories  that  had  gathered  about  the  place.  Of  old  many  a 
belated  traveler  over  the  old  Flatbush  Road  could  swear  that  he 
had  plainly  seen  the  ])alc  face  of  the  unfortunate  girl  looking  out 
at  one  of  the  gal)lc  windows,  at  the  end  of  the  avenue  of  pines. 
For  his  loyalty  to  the  King,  ]\Ir.  Axtell  was  honored  with  the  title 


Cfjroniclc^  of  o^ra^mu^  i$M  aicaDcmp 


19 


of  Colonel  in  General 
Howe's  army.  It  must 
have  been  in  "the  early 
(lays  of  the  war  that  the 
following  episode  oc- 
curred. 

A  niece  of  Mrs.  Ax- 
tell  was  living  with  her. 
This  was  Miss  Shipton, 
quite  a  belle  in  Flatbush 
society.  It  is  not  strange 
that  she  should  meet 
Aquila  Giles,  and  that 
he  should  fall  in  love 
with  her.  This  may 
have  been  all  right  mitil 
young  Giles  was  inju- 
dicious enough  to  be- 
tray his  sympathy  for 
the  rebel  cause.  When 
this  fact  became  known, 
however,  Colonel  Axtell 
was  very  angry.  This 
attitude  on  his  part  probably  made  the  passion  of  the  young  people 
more  ardent.  Finally,  though  the  Tory  master  of  Melrose  Hall 
opened  his  parlors  to  the  elite  of  Flatbush  society,  though  the  brilliant 
balls  given  were  the  talk  of  the  town,  Aquila  Giles  v/as  forbidden 
to  enter  the  house.  Yet  the  lovers  were  betrothed  and  remained 
true  to  each  other. 

Hostilities  began.  Aquila  Giles  joined  the  American  army- 
and  rose  to  the  ofBcial  rank  of  colonel.  The  war  ended  and  he- 
returned  to  Flatbush  to  live.  Then  it  was  that  the  United  States. 
Government  confiscated  the  property  of  the  Tory  Axtell,  and 
advertised  it  for  sale  at  public  auction.  On  the  twenty-first  day 
of  October,  1784,  Colonel  Aquila  Giles  purchased  Melrose  Hall. 
Then  he  married  Miss  Shipton  and  took  up  his  residence  in  the 
house  from  which,  as  a  lover,  he  had  been  so  angrily  ordered. 

Colonel  Giles  lived  in  Flatbush  for  many  years  and  was  an 
active  member  of  Erasmus  Hall  Board  of  Trustees  until  1797- 
In  1809  he  sold  Melrose  Hall  to  Bateman  Lloyd,  another  trustee. 


Melrose  Hall 


20 


Cfjroniclcs  of  oJrasmu.sf  I^all  9(.caDcmp 


Romance  of  JBateman  Hlopb 


Air.  Bateman  Lloyd  was  a  native  of  Woodstown,  Salem  County, 
New  Jersey.  As  far  as  is  known,  he  resided  there  until  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  Revolutionary  W  ar,  when  he  was  in  his  nineteenth 
year.  Though  he  was  a  Quaker,  this  did  not  prevent  him  from 
taking  an  active  part  in  the  struggle.  He  first  became  a  Lieuten- 
ant, and  then  a  Captain,  in  the  American  Army.  On  February 
2^/.  1778,  he  was  taken  prisoner,  and  remained  such  until  April  1, 
1781,  when  he  was  exchanged.  Tradition  has  it,  and  without  the 
slightest  doubt  truthfully,  that  during  a  large  portion  of  his  life 
as  prisoner,  he  w^as  lodged  in  the  County  Jail,  which  was  then 
located  in  Flatbush,  and  given  by  parole  the  freedom  of  certain 
portions  of  the  village. 

In  those  days  ]\Ir.  Jacob  Lefferts,  an  honored  citizen  of  the 
village,  with  Tory  sympathies,  resided  in  an  old  Dutch  house  on 
the  northwest  corner  of  the  "Cross-Roads."  His  daughter,  Abigail, 
was  one  of  the  belles  of  the  town.  It  is  not  strange  that  the 
manly  young  Captain  and  Aliss  Abigail  should  meet,  and  having 
met,  looked,  "no  sooner  looked  but  they  loved,  no  sooner  loved 
but  they  sighed,  no  sooner  sighed  but  they  asked  one  another  the 
reason,  no  sooner  knew  the  reason  but  they  sought  the  remedy." 
But  here  the  real  romance  begins. 

Captain  Lloyd  may  have  been  billeted,  for  his  meals,  on  the 
family  of  Mr.  Lefferts,  and  in  that  case  only  the  Tory  prejudices 
of  Abigail's  father  would  have  needed  to  be  overcome.    But  there 

were  those,  possibly  just  village  gos- 
sips, who  declared  that  the  limits  of 
his  parole  would  not  allcnv  the  young 
prisoner  to  cross  Church  Lane,  as  the 
road  was  then  called.  Now  Aliss  Abi- 
gail was  a  very  exemplary  and  proper 
young  lady,  and  her  ideas  of  ])ropriety, 
undoubtedly,  would  not  allow  her  to 
cross  the  street  to  seek  the  company 
of  a  young  man.  I^hc  situation  was  a 
variation  of  the  "Pyramis  and 
Thisby"  affair,  and  the  (piestion  a 
variation  of  ''The  Lady  and  the  Tiger" 
l)roblem.  Did  Captain  Lloyd  violate 
liATiiMAx  Llovu  the   conditions   of   his   parole,   or   did 


C^rDnicIc0  of  €ra0mu.0  l^all  acabrmp 


21 


the  very  proper  ]\Iiss  Abigail  Lefferts 
violate  her  ideas  of  propriety?  Neither 
horn  of  this  dilemma  is  tenable. 

Aliss  Abigail  had  an  uncle  who.  it 
is  said,  had  watched  the  growing  love 
between  these  two  }oung  people.     He 
had  no  Tory  scruples  and  he  had  a  live 
sympathy  for  the  lovers.     As  his  res- 
idence is  admitted  to  have  been  within 
the  limits  of  the  prisoner's  parole,  the 
imagination  can   easily  picture  many 
accidental  meetings  of  the  young  peo- 
ple at  his  home.     Then  one  day,  the 
preacher    happened    there    simultane- 
ously   with    the    meeting    of    the    lovers.      After    the    marriage, 
which  occurred  January   19,   1780,  it  is  said,  ]\Ir.  Jacob  Lefferts 
overcame    his    Tory    scruples    and    gave    the    young    people    his 
blessing. 

Air.  and  ]\Irs.  Lloyd  spent  the  greater  part  of  their  lives  in 
Flatbush  and  became  the  ancestors  of  two  lines  of  Trustees  of 
Erasmus  Hall  Academv- — the  Zabriskies  and  the   Lefiferts.* 


Abigail  L.  Lloyd 


Jf latJjusit  in  l^epublican  ^imes; 

In  Republican  times  Flatbush  continued  to  be  of  first  impor- 
tance among  the  villages  of  Kings  County.  It  was  first  made 
County-Town  in  1668;  it  remained  the  Count}'-Town  in  post- 
revolutionary  times.  It  contained  the  court-house,  and  when 
court  w^as  in  session,  the  lawyers,  their  clients,  and  all  interested 
in  litigation  flocked  to  the  village.  The  most  important  Reformed 
Dutch  Church  of  Kings  County  was  located  in  Flatbush.  Here 
was  the  best  school  in  the  county.  The  farmers  were  thrifty  and 
prosperous,  many  of  them  becoming  even  wealthy,  as  wealth  was 
considered  in  those  days.  Flatbush,  however,  was  not,  even  after  the 
Revolution,  a  large  village,  as  late  as  1840  the  population  being 
only  1,540.  The  dwellings  were  largely  the  residences  of  farmers, 
who  were  lineal  descendants  of  the  first  Dutch  settlers  on  Long 
Island,  or  Nassau  Island,  as  it  was  called.  The  center  of  life 
continued  to  be  at  the  Cross-Roads. 

Until  1832  the  court-house  and  jail  stood  on  the  west  side  of 


For  the  facts  relating  to  this  romance,  see  The  Zabriskie  Homestead. 


22 


€f)rDniclc!^  of  oSra.ie^mu.i^  l^all  acaDemp 


Alain  Road,  nearly  opposite  the  southern  corner  of  the  new  Eras- 
mus Hall  building.  In  front  of  the  jail,  in  plain  sight,  were  the 
stocks  and  whipping  post.  In  general  the  county  officials  lived  in 
Flatbush,  but  when  court  was  in  session  the  stages  brought  many 
strangers  to  the  otherwise  quiet  village.     The  coaches  stopped  at 


^Wi!#-^^^ 


Third  Court-House^  1796 

the  village  inn  or  tavern,  just  north  of  the  jail,  kept  by  Widow 
Schoonmaker.  The  old  tavern  sign,  with  its  English  coat-of-arms, 
that  swung  in  front,  was,  when  taken  down,  placed  in  the  Acadeniy 
for  safe  keeping,  but  eventually  found  its  way  into  the  kindling- 
pile  of  some  ruthless  teacher.  The  main  part  of  the  Schoon- 
maker Inn,  modernized,  has  been  con\'erted  into  a  residence,  now 
occupied  by  Dr.  Ferris. 

At  the  Cross-Roads,  on  the  southwest  corner,  stood  the  church 
edifice,  second  in  point  of  time  to  occupy  this  site.  *Tt  was  of  stone, 
facing  the  east,  with  a  steep,  four-sided  roof,  in  the  center  of  which 
was  a  steeple.""^'  ''The  ]:)resent  church  is  the  third  upon  the  same 
spot;  it  was  completed  in  1796."  It  was  customar\-  in  carl\^  post- 
revolutionary  days,  for  what  were  called  the  six  collegiate  Dutch 
churches  in  Kings  County,  to  lia\c  two  i)rcaclicrs  called  colleagues, 
who  in  succession  made  a  circuit  of  the  six  churches.  Thus  every 
church  would  Irive  a  forenoon  and  an  afternoon  service  once  every 
two   weeks.     The   preaching   w^as   in    the    Dutch    language   until 


Vandcrhilt. 


Cfjronicle.i^  of  €ra.-^mu.0  l^all  academp 


23 


1792,  when  the  afternoon  sermon  was  made  an  EngHsh  one.  In 
Flatbush  the  last  Dutch  sermon  was  deUvered  in  1824.  The  first 
students  of  Erasmus  Hall,  when  they  attended  church,  heard  either 
the  Rev.  Martinus  Schoonmaker  or  the  Rev.  Peter  Lowe.  The  for- 
mer, who  resided  in  the  parsonage  just  south  of  the  church,  always 
preached  in  Dutch.  Mr.  Lowe  seems  to  have  lived  in  the  second 
house  north  of  what  is  now  called  Vernon  Avenue,  on  the  east  side 
of  Alain  Road.  The  main  parsonage  "was  a  long,  low  building, 
without  front  windows  on  the  second  story,  and  with  a  steep,  heavy 
roof,  after  the  pattern  of  the  first  Dutch  houses.""^ 

Returning  to  the  Four  Corners,  we  find  on  the  northwest 
corner  of  Alain  Road  and  Church  Lane  one  of  the  very  old  land- 
marks, later  known  as  the  Zabriskie  Homestead.  ''There  were 
none  who  could  furnish  a  record  of  the  time  when,  or  by  whom, 
it  was  built.  In  its  heavy,  sloping  roof,  its  long,  narrow  front 
stoop,  and  the  low^  ceilings  of  its  roomy  first  floor,  it  showed  the 


The   Four   Corners — Flatbush,    1787 

characteristics  of  the  houses  built  at  an  earlier  period."  Near  the 
gable  end  of  this  house  stood  an  immense  linden  tree,  under 
wdiich  A\'ashington  is  said  to  have  pitched  his  tent,  and  British 
officers  to  have  stationed  themselves,  at  various  periods  in  Revo- 
lutionary times. 


Vanderbilt. 


24  €l^ronicIc,i^  of  €ra.0mu.0  l^all  Slcaticmp 

A  liberty  pole  stood  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the  Cross-Roads. 
Xear  it  was  the  Stryker  Homestead,  a  long,  low  brick  house.  On 
the  remaining  corner  stood  the  Neefus  House.  It  too  was  of  the 
old  style  Dutch  architecture.  "There  were  half-doors,  with  round 
glasses  in  the  upper  half  to  light  the  room  into  which  the  front  door 
opened.  A  large  linden  tree  stood  upon  the  sidewalk  before  the 
door,  shading  the  long  stoop. "'^ 

South  of  this  house,  on  a  triangular  lot  of  ground,  stood  the 
old  village  schoolhouse.  It  consisted  of  "three  distinct  buildings 
joined  together,  and  evidently  erected  at  different  periods  of  time. 
The  most  eastern,  which  was  probably  the  first  erected  in  the  town, 
was  built  of  stone,  and  stood  about  sixty  feet  from  the  street,  being 
one  story  high.  The  second  was  composed  of  wood,  more  elevated 
than  the  first,  having  a  steep  roof  in  front,  and  a  long,  sloping  roof 
in  the  rear,  reaching  so  near  the  ground  as  to  admit  of  only  a  small 
window  behind.  The  third,  also  a  frame  building,  was  of  more 
modern  date,  the  gable  end  of  which  fronted  the  street  and  stood 
in  a  line  with  it.  .  .  .  The  whole  fronted  the  south,"  the  west- 
erly front  room  always  being  used  as  a  schoolroom.  The  school- 
master lived  in  the  building,  and  the  east  end  of  the  house  served 
as  a  kitchen. t 

The  schoolmaster  was  an  important  personage  in  the  village. 
His  duties  were  so  varied  as  almost  to  alarm  the  modern  teacher. 
After  1776,  he  was  forced  to  teach  English  to  the  children,  though 
they  were  to  be  also  instructed  in  the  ordinary  branches  of  a  Dutch 
education.  The  master  was  obliged  to  give  a  thorough  course  in 
catechism.  "He  was  to  keep  the  church  clean  and  ring  the  bell. 
Before  the  sermon  he  was  to  read  a  chapter  out  of  the  Bible,  the 
ten  commandments,  the  twelve  articles  of  faith,  and  take  the  lead 
in  singing.  The  afternoon  duties  were  of  a  similar  nature.  When 
the  minister  preached  in  some  other  village,  he  was  required  'to 
read  twice  before  the  congregation  from  the  book  commonly  used 
for  that  ])urpose,  and  also  to  read  a  sermon  (mi  the  explanation  of 
the  catechism.'  "  He  ])rovided  the  bread  and  wine  for  the  cele- 
bralion  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  and  the  water  for  the  administration 
of  baptism.  He  invited  friends  to  the  funerals  ;  he  dug  the  graves 
and  removed  the  dirt  from  the  church  ;  and  he  assumed  the  respon- 
sibilitv  of  vSundav  School  teachers.  During-  the  sessions  of  the 
court  he  was  employed  as  court  messenger,  th(Migh  he  received 
extra  pay  fr)r  this  serxice.i 


Vandcrl)ilt.  t  Sire  nfj,   p     118.  t    \';in(KrliiIt.   pp.   5.2,   53. 


.'^■nneMcs^.i^^ 


i»..t." 


iyj^^iaruwiiiteSr 


CJjronicIe^  of  €ra^mu^  I^all  acatiemp  21 

The  Zabriskie  and  the  Neefus  houses  have  already  been  men- 
tioned. The  J.  C.  Bergen  house,  probably  erected  for  David  Clark- 
son  in  1735,  stood,  until  1902,  on  the  northwest  corner  of  Flatbush 
Avenue  and  Albemarle  Road.  On  the  vacant  lot  south  of  the  end 
of  Albemarle  Road  stood  another  old  Dutch  house,  since  owned  by 
Dr.  Vanderveer,  but  in  the  first  years  of  Erasmus  Hall,  it  was  the 
reputed  residence  of  Dr.  Livingston,  the  first  principal  of  the  Acad- 
emy. Here  he  was  accustomed  to  spend  his  summers  lecturing  to 
his  theological  students.  Between  the  Bergen  house  and  the  court- 
house were  probably  a  couple  of  small  inns,  known  as  the  Wiggins 
Inn  and  the  Van  Buren  Inn.  South  of  the  J.  C.  Bergen  house  lived 
Johannes  E.  Lott,  and  still  further  down  the  road  were  the  homes 
of  the  Ditmas  family.  The  Vanderveers  lived  on  the  east  side  of 
the  road,  south  of  the  home  of  the  Rev.  Peter  Lowe. 

The  property  on  the  west  side  of  the  road,  from  the  Dutch 
Church  on  the  south  to  what  is  now  East  New  York  Avenue  on  the 
north,  was  once  held  entirely  in  the  names  of  the  Lefferts,  Martense 
and  Vanderbilt  families.""^'  Where  the  Midwood  Club  now  stands 
was,  in  the  early  settlement,  the  home  of  Senator  John  Vanderbilt, 
who,  with  Dr.  Livingston  first  conceived  the  idea  of  an  academy 
in  Flatbush.  There  he  resided  in  an  old  Dutch  house.  Next, 
probably,  was  the  home  of  George  Martense. 

In  these  early  times  there  were  more  slaves  in  Flatbush  than 
in  any  other  part  of  Kings  County.  Nearly  every  family  had  its 
slaves,  whose  descendants  remained  in  the  family  from  genera- 
tion to  generation,  until  a  law  was  passed  which  gave  the  children 
of  slaves  their  freedom.  It  is  possible  even  now  occasionally  to  find 
a  descendant  of  the  slaves  of  the  old  time  a  faithful  servant  in  the 
family  where  his  ancestors  lived  and  served  as  bond-servant. 

Flatbush  with  its  old  church  and  its  parsonages,  with  its  court- 
house and  its  jail,  with  its  inns  and  its  old  Dutch  houses,  with 
its  liberty  pole  and  its  village  school,  was  a  fitting  place  to  become 
the  patron  of  a  sounder  education  than  other  communities 
afiforded.  To  enable  the  children  of  the  community  to  enjoy  the 
best  educational  advantages  possible,  Erasmus  Hall  Academy 
was  founded.  For  years  the  struggle  to  maintain  it  was  severe. 
There  was  not  a  penny  of  profit  in  the  school,  but  the  founders 
v/ere  persistent  and  self-sacrificing;  it  was  maintained  and  it  flour- 
ished.    Its  influence  on  the  community  is  beyond  all  calculation. 


Vanderbilt,  p.   212. 


28  €l)ronicle0  of  €ra.0mu0  l^all  3lcaDcmp 


Jfounbins  an  ^cabemp 

"To  the  Reverend  Dr.  John  H.  Livingston  and  Senator  John 
X'anderbilt  is  due  the  credit  of  founding  an  academy  in  Flatbush." 

Dr.  Livingston  was  eminently  fitted  for  the  position  which  he 
assumed  in  the  matter  of  founding  Erasmus  Hall  Academy.  A 
descendant  of  the  Livingstons  who  had  settled  in  Eastern  Xew  York, 
he  prepared  himself  fully  for  the  occupation  of  a  clergyman  in  the 
Reformed  Dutch  Church.  After  the  ordinary  schooling  in  Xew 
Milford,  Conn.,  he,  at  the  age  of  tw^elve,  passed  the  examination 
and  entered  Yale  College  as  a  Freshman.  This  w'as  in  Septem- 
ber, 1758.  After  four  years  he  took  his  A.B.  degree,  and  three 
years  later  was  awarded  the  A.^L  degree.  His  first  plan  was  to 
enter  the  profession  of  law,  but  his  health  failing,  after  a  rest  his 
attention  was  called  to  the  ministry.  Having  determined  to  enter 
upon  this  line  of  work,  he  declared  that  he  must  have  the  best 
preparation  possible.  So  in  1766  he  sailed  for  Holland  to  prepare 
for  his  life  work.  After  four  years  of  severe  study  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Utrecht,  he  w^as  graduated  with  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Divinity.  Fully  restored  to  health  (through  prayer,  he  claimed), 
he  returned  to  America  to  begin  his  wonderfully  active  career  as 
clergyman  and  educator. 

There  seems  to  have  been  something  remarkable  in  the  per- 
sonality of  Dr.  Livingston,  even  in  these  formative  years.  His 
preparation  for  life  was  the  best  that  the  New  World  could  afi^ord  : 
his  preparation  for  the  ministry  was  the  best  the  Old  AA Orld  could 
offer.  His  relationshi])  with  the  learned  men  of  ITrccht  was 
rather  that  of  an  equal  and  a  companion  tlian  that  of  a  student. 
At  the  close  of  his  I^niversity  career  he  was  called  to  the  ])as- 
torate  of  the  New  York  City  church.  In  this  pastorate  he  had 
three  colleagues,  for  there  were  four  congregations  in  the  city. 
The  Dutch  churches,  even  in  America,  were  acknowledged  to 
e(|ual  if  not  exceed  those  of  other  denominations."  ^\^t  there  was 
a  schism  which  threatened  to  disrupt  the  entire  church,  l^r. 
r>i\'ingston  became  ])eacemaker,  and  succeeded  in  forming  a  union 
of  the  factions.  During  the  Revolution,  while  the  bjiglish  occu- 
pied the  City  of  New  ^^)rk.  he  preached  at  Alban\-,  Foui^hkeepsic 
and  other  places  along  the  Hudson.  At  the  close  of  the  war  he 
reopened  the  old  Dutch  Churcli  in  Garden  Street.  New  ^^ork, 
where  the  remnants  of  the   four  congregations  gathered  around 


•  T-iviiiRston   ^T(Mno^I■<?.   p.    iR8. 


Cf)ronicIc^  of  aBra^mu.sf  i^all  SlcaDcmp  29 

him.  Here  he  continued  to  preach  two  or  more  times  every  Sab- 
bath for  several  years.  Throug^hout  his  career,  it  is  safe  to  sa\',  he 
was  a  leading  character  among  the  clergymen  of  his  denomina- 
tion. In  every  movement  he  was  consulted.  He  was  influential 
in  drafting  the  form  of  constitution  finally  adopted  by  his  Church. 
He  collected  the  Psalms  and  hymns  for  the  use  of  his  Church. 
He  w^atched  over  her  interests  with  a  jealous  care  that  never 
abated. 

In  educational  matters  Dr.  Livingston  was  fully  alive  to  the 
necessities  of  his  Church  and  of  the  times.  First  he  w^orked  for 
the  appointment  of  a  Professor  of  Theology.  When  the  position 
was  created  by  the  American  Synod  and  application  was  made  to 
the  Faculty  of  the  University  of  Utrecht  for  a  suitable  man  to 
fill  the  chair,  he  w'as  unanimously  recommended.  Nothing,  how- 
ever, could  be  done  during  Revolutionary  times,  but  soon  after 
the  war  closed  he  took  up  in  earnest  the  matter  of  education.  In 
1784  he  was  duly  elected  Professor  of  Didactic  and  Polemic  The- 
ology for  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church  in  America.  This  honor 
simply  added  new^  duties  to  his  former  ones  without  lessening  his 
work  as  a  pastor,  or  increasing  his  remuneration  for  the  same. 
It  now  became  the  Doctor's  ambition  to  have  a  theological  sem- 
inary, or  at  least  to  control  a  theological  department  of  some  col- 
lege. ^^d^ile  this  matter  was  pending  he  taught  theology  to  such 
students  as  gathered  about  him  in  his  own  home. 

In  1786  Dr.  Livingston  came  to  Flatbush  to  spend  his  sum- 
mer. His  theological  students  followed  him  to  that  village, 
finding  it  cheaper  living  there  than  in  the  city.  As  has  been  said, 
it  is  probable  that  Dr.  Livingston  occupied  the  house  owned  by 
Dr.  Vanderveer  on  the  corner  of  wdiat  is  now  Flatbush  Avenue 
and  Albemarle  Road.  Here  w^as  the  germ  of  the  seminary  which 
he  had  for  a  long  time  hoped  to  found. 

A\'ith  the  advent  of  Dr.  Livingston  to  Flatbush  the  subject  of 
higher  education  became  a  live  one  in  the  otherwise  almost  dead 
village.  Very  soon  he  associated  with  himself  Senator  A^ander- 
bilt,  and  together  they  conceived  the  idea  of  establishing  in  Flat- 
bush an  institution  for  higher  learning.  They  succeeded  in 
interesting  many  prominent  families  in  the  matter  of  founding  an 
academy.  No  doubt  Dr.  Livingston  held  out  the  inducement  that 
it  would  be  the  germ  from  which  a  theological  seminary  for  the 
Reformed  Dutch  Church  w^ould  grow.  There  seems  to  have  been 
a  feeling  in  the  village  that  the  children  of  the  community  w^ere 
not  enjoying  the  best  educational  advantages  of  the  times.     The 


30  €f)rDnicIc0  of  aJrasmus  IJall  3lcaDcmp 

villagers  were  ready,  therefore,  to  encourage  any  movement  that 
would  tend  to  give  better  educational  advantages  to  their  sons 
and  daughters.  The  people  were  thrifty  and  able  to  support  an 
academy.  Before  the  close  of  the  first  summer  in  the  village  Dr. 
Livingston  had  gained  the  support  of  not  only  Senator  \^ander- 
bilt  but  of  Jacob  Lefferts,  Joris  ]\Iartense,  Peter  Lefferts,  Johannes 
E.  Lott,  Cornelius  Vanderveer,  Justice  John  Vanderbilt,  AMlliam 
B.  Gifford,  Peter  Cornell,  Matthew  Clarkson,  Aquila  Giles,  John 
J.  Vanderbilt,  and  Garret  Martense.  Then  began  the  preparation 
for  the  erection  of  a  building. 

As  Flatbush  was  the  county-seat  of  Kings  County  it  was  well 
known  throughout  southeastern  Xew  York.  Its  old  families 
were,  in  1786,  representing  the  county  in  State  and  National 
legislative  assemblies.  There  w^ere  many  prominent  people,  not 
in  the  environs  of  the  village,  who  were  interested  in  the  progress 
and  prosperity  of  her  people.  It  was,  therefore,  the  most  natural 
thing  in  the  world  for  the  projectors  of  the  academy  to  invite 
their  friends  from  near  and  far  to  help  in  the  enterprise  of  build- 
ing a  school.  Accordingly,  "a  subscription  paper  was  circulated 
in  the  village,  and  handed  to  some  friends  in  the  City  of  Xew 
York.  In  this  way  the  sum  of  915  pounds  was  raised  toward  the 
object."     The  subscription  read  as  follows  : 

"JVIicreas,  This  County  experiences  the  greatest  inconven- 
ience from  the  want  of  a  Public  School  being  erected,  in  wdiich 
the  English,  Latin  and  Greek,  with  other  branches  of  learning 
usual  in  Academies,  are  taught,  and  considering  the  preceding 
regulations  and  proposals  for  erecting  the  same,  in  the  town  of 
Flatbush,  highly  beneficial  and  honorable  to  said  County:  A\'e, 
the  underwritten,  agree  to  pay  towards  erecting  the  same,  such 
sum  as  is  annexed  to  our  names,  the  one  half  on  the  first  of  Ai:)ril 
next,  the  other  half  on  the  first  day  of  August  following:  and  we 
further  take  the  trouble  to  solicit  from  friends  of  Literature,  in 
New  York,  their  encouragement,  to  enable  us  to  carr}'  into  execu- 
tir)n  this  laudable  attempt."* 

Kings  Count}',  Flatbush,  Fe1)ruary  22,  1786. 

(Signed) 

John    Vanderbilt iioo       Adrianto  Voorhecs  £30 

Peter   Lefferts    Co       I  lendrick   Siiydani    25 

John  Vanderbilt   50       William  B.  Gifford 20 


Strong,  i)p.    123.   124. 


Cl)raniclc^  of  ^ra^mujsf  I^all  aicaDcmp 


31 


Garret  Alartense    £50 

Peter  Cornell  15 

Jor'is   ]\Iartense    50 

Aa  Giles    50 

Jacob  Lefferts   50 

Johannes  E.  Lott   50 

Cornelius  Vanderveer  50 

James  Diiane   15 

Richard  Varick  10 

Brockholst  Livingston    10 

Alexander  Hamilton   10 

William   Duer    15 

Walter  Rutherford 10 

Carey  Ludlow   10 

Edward  Livingston    10 

William    Wilcox    10 

D.  C.  Verplanck   10 

McCoombe    10 


Philip  Xagel ii5 

]\I.  Clarkson   50 

Johannes  Waldron  5 

George  Clinton,  for  any  place  in 

Kings  County 15 

John  Jay   15 

Robert  H.  Livingston   15 

John  Sloss   Hobart    5 

James   Giles    5 

John  H.  Livingston  5 

Comfort  Sands    20 

Samuel  Franklin  10 

Francis  Childs  5 

Richard    Piatt    10 

W.  Edgar   5 

Sampson  Fleming 5 

Aaron  Burr    10 


Senator  John  Vanderbilt 
was  a  man  of  great  nobleness 
of  mind,  of  liberal  views,  and 
of  enlarged  public  spirit.  He 
was  among  the  deputies  from 
Kings  County  who  met  in  New 
York  in  convention,  April  10, 
1775)  for  the  purpose  of  choos- 
ing delegates  for  the  First  Con- 
tinental Congress. 


Having  formed  the  proper  asso- 
ciation, the  people,  immediately 
interested,  seem  to  have  proceed- 
ed at  once  to  the  purchase  of  a  lot 
and  to  the  erection  of  a  building. 
The  lot  selected  was  on  ^lain 
Road  (Flatbush  Avenue),  oppo- 
site the  court-house,  and  just 
south  of  that  on  which  the  village 
schoolhouse  stood.  T  h  i  s  lot 
three  acres  in  extent,  was  near  the  center  of  the  village.  The 
Church  virtually  donated  the  site.  It  was  not,  however,  until 
December  29,  1797,  that  a  deed  in  perpetuity  was  secured,  the 
trustees  paying  $187.50  in  lieu  of  all  rents.  Immediately  on  the 
securing  of  the  lot  the  associates  made  preparation  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a  building.  The  material  was  furnished  largely  from  the 
farms  about.  Those  who  had  wood  suitable  for  frame-work,  fur- 
nished the  logs,  and  those  who  had  timber  suitable  for  making 
the  laths,  shingles  and  boards,  furnished  that  timber.  Every  one 
lent  a  willing  hand.  The  beams  were  hand-hewed ;  the  laths  and 
shingles  hand-made.  Before  the  year  was  over  the  people  of 
Flatbush  saw  a  school  building  pretty  well  under  way,  and  before 
the  close  of  1787  the  building  was  ready  for  use  as  an  academy. 
This  structure  was  for  the  time,  a  large  one,  being  one  hundred 
feet  by  thirty-six  feet,  and  containing  four  large  halls,  thirty-five 


2>^ 


Cf^roniclcs  of  aEraemus?  l^all  SlcaDcmp 


Johannes  E.  Lott  was  one 
of  the  six  delegates  from  Kings 
County  to  the  Provincial  Con- 
gress in  New  York  Cit}^  in 
1776.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Assembly  from  his  county 
in  1784.  He  was  first  surro- 
gate of  the  county  under  the 
State  Constitution  and  one  of 
the  Judges  of  the  Court  of 
Common  Pleas,  becoming  final- 
ly First  Judge  of  that  court. 


feet  by  twenty-two  and  a  half  feet,  and  twelve  smaller  rooms. 
There  could  not  be  found  in  the  country  a  more  imposing  build- 
ing dedicated  to  the  purpose  of  education.  The  Academy  was 
named  in  honor  of  Desiderius  Erasmus,  the  Dutch  scholar  who 
brought  the  New  Learning  to  England  in  the  time  of  Henrv  \'III. 
"The  first  public  exhibition  of  Erasmus  Hall  was  held  Sep- 
tember 27,  1787,  'and  the  scene,'  says  Stiles,  'was  graced  by  the 
presence  of  the  Governor  of  the  State,  several  members  of  the 
Assembly,  and  a  large  concourse  of  prominent  gentlemen  of  the 
vicinity.'  ''* 

Before  carrying  the  work  to  completion,  however,  the  found- 
ers of  Erasmus  Elall  Academy  determined  to  make  the  institution 

as  prominent  as  possible  among 
the  schools  of  the  State,  and  as 
soon  as  things  were  in  a  condition 
to  warrant  it  they  made  overtures 
to  the  Regents  of  the  University 
of  the  State  of  New  York  for  a 
charter.  Their  application  is  dated 
May  18,  1787,  and  their  recpiest  is, 
"That  the  Academy  erected  by 
them  might  be  incorporated  by 
t  h  e  i  r  Honorable  Body,  a  n  d 
become   subject   to  their  visitation. "t 

The  matter  came  before  the  Regents  on  the  17th  of  November, 

1787. 

"The  board  resolved  itself  into  a  committee  of  the  whole  upon  the  appli- 
cations of  Jacob  Lefferts  and  others  and  of  Samuel  Buell  and  others.  After 
some  time  spent  thereon,  Dr.  Rodgcrs  reported  that  the  committee  had  con- 
sidered those  reports  of  the  sub-conmiittecs  and  were  of  opinion  lliat  they 
should   be   confirnu'd. 

"Whereupon  it  was  ordered  that  the  said  reports  be  confirmed,  and  it  was 
further  orderc((  that  the  Secretary  i)rcpare  the  draft  of  an  instrument  for 
incorporating  the  said  John  Van  Der  \\\\t  and  eighteen  other  persons  for  that 
purpose  nominated  and  that  he  sul)mil  such  draft  to  the  Attorney-General 
of  the  State  for  his  opinion  thereon.  The  Secretary,  in  conformity  to  the 
above  order,  laid  before  the  board  the  draft  of  an  instrument  approved  by  the 
Attorney-Cieneral  for  the  i)ur])ose  of  incorporating  the  said  John  Van  Der  Bilt 
and  others  ])y  the  iinnu-  of  'The  Trustees  of  ICrasnms  Ilall  in  Kings  County,' 
which  was  ordered  and  agreed  to. 


*  ()strrin<k'r:     History  of  tin-  City  of   l?rooklyn  nnd   Kinps  County,    N'ol.    1 
t  Jeremiah  Lott,  Trustee  Minutes,  December  2y,   1809. 


35- 


<ir{)ronicIc-6?  of  oEra^mu^  I^all  3tcaDemp  33 

"Ordered,  that  the  same  be  engrossed  and  the   Chancellor  affix  the   seal 
of  the  University  thereto  when  preferred."* 

Erasmus  Hall  was  the  first  school  of  secondary  rank  to  receive 
a  charter  from  the  Regents,  though  tradition  has  given  priority  of 
birth  to  Clinton  Academy,  East  Hampton. t  The  records  at  Albany, 
however,  cannot  be  disputed.  Though  Clinton  Academy  was 
chartered  on  the  same  day,  Erasmus  Hall  was  the  first  to  receive 
attention  from  that  honorable  body.  The  institution  at  East 
Hampton  has  long  since  ceased  to  exist ;  the  old  Elatbush  school 
thus  doubly  stands  without  a  rival  as  the  oldest  Regents'  acad- 
emy in  the  State. t  The  original  charter,  in  a  good  state  of  preser- 
vation, is  still  in  existence  and  is  in  the  custody  of  Mr.  John  Z. 
Lott,  the  present  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Trustees.  It  reads 
as  follows : 

The  Regents  of  the  University  of  the  State  of  New  York  to  all 
whom  these  presents  shall  or  may  come,  Greeting.  Whereas^  Jacob 
Lefiferts,  Joris  Martense,  Peter  Lefferts,  Johannes  E.  Lott,  Cornelius 
Van  Der  Veer,  John  Van  Der  Bilt,  William  B.  Gifford,  Peter  Cornell, 
Matthew  Clarkson,  Aquila  Giles,  John  Van  Der  Bilt  and  Gatie 
Martense,  by  an  instrument  in  writing  under  their  hands  and  seals, 
bearing  date  the  eighteenth  day  of  May,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty-seven,  after  stating  among  other 
things  that  they  are  Founders  and  Benefactors  of  a  certain  Academy, 
at  Flatbush,  in  Kings  County,  in  the  State  aforesaid,  who  have  con- 
tributed more  than  one-half  in  value  of  the  real  and  personal  property 
and  estate  collected  or  appropriated  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the 
said  Academy,  did  make  application  to  us,  the  said  Regents,  that  the  said 
Academy  might  be  Licorporated  and  become  subject  to  the  visitation  of 
us  and  our  successors  and  that  we  would  signify  our  approbation  that 
John  Van  Der  Bilt,  Walter  Minto,  Peter  Lefiferts,  Johannes  E.  Lott, 
Aquila  Giles,  Cornelius  Van  Der  Veer,  George  Martense,  Jacob  Lefferts, 
William  Bernard  Gifford,  Llendrick  Suydam,  John  J.  Van  Der  Bilt, 
Martinus  Schoonmaker,  Philip  Nagle,  Peter  Cornell,  John  H.  Livingston, 
James  Wilson,  Samuel  Provost,  John  Mason,  and  Comfort  Sands,  the 
Trustees  named  in  the  said  application  and  their  successors  might  be 
a  Body  Corporate  and  Politic  by  the  name  and  style  of  the  Erasmus 
Hall  in  Kings  County. 

Now  Know  Ye  that  we,  the  said  Regents,  having  enquired  into  the 
allegations  contained  in  the  Instrument  in  writing  aforesaid  and  found 
the  same  to  be  true  and  conceiving  the  said  Academy,  calculated  for 
the  promotion  of  literature,  do  by  these  presents,  pursuant  to  the  Statute 
in  such  case  made  and  provided,  signify  our  approbation  of  the  Incor- 


*  Extract    from    Regents'    Minutes,    November    17,    1787.      For    this    and    several    other 
similar  extracts  we  are  indebted  to  Mr.  J.   R.   Parsons,   Secretary  of  the  University,    1901. 

t  See    "  A    Memorial    of    the    Rev.    William    Henry    Campbell,"    printed    by    Rutgers 
rdlege.      See  also  Vanderbilt's  Social  History  of  Flatbush,  p.    199.      See  also   Dr.   Strong's 


Colleg 

History  of  Flatbush 
t  Regents  Minutes 


34 


€l)rDnicIc^  of  Erasmus  l^all  Slcaticmp 


poration  of  the  said  John  Van  Der  Bilt,  Walter  Minto,  Peter  Lefferts, 
Johannes  E.  Lott,  Aquila  Giles,  Cornelius  Van  Der  Veer,  George 
]^Iartense.  Jacob  Lefferts,  William  Barnard  Gifford.  Hendrick  Suydam, 
John  J.  Van  Der  Bilt,  ]\Iartinus  Schoonmaker,  Philip  Nagle,  Peter 
Cornell,  John  H.  Livingston.  James  Wilson,  Samuel  Provost,  John 
]\Iason,  and  Comfort  Sands,  the  Trustees  of  the  said  Academy,  so  as 
aforesaid  named  b}'  the  Founders  thereof  by  the  name  of  the  Trustees 
of  Erasmus  Hall  in  Kings  County,  being  the  name  mentioned  in  and 
b}-  the  said  request  in  writing. 

In  Witness  whereof  we  have  caused  our  Common  Seal  to  be  here- 
unto affixed  the  twentieth  day  of  November,  in  the  twelfth  year  of 
American  Independence. 

Witness^  George  Clinton,  Esquire,  Chancellor  of  the  University, 

Geo.  Clinton. 
By  order  of  the  Regents, 
Rich.  Harison,  Secretary. 


Of  the  charter  members  of  this  Board  of  Trustees  the  last  four 
named  did  not  accept  the  trust.    Their  seats  were  declared  vacant 

in  conformity  to  a  l)y- 
law  of  the  Board,  made 
April  26,  1790.  It  is  in- 
teresting to  note  the 
personnel  of  this  body 
of  sturdy  champions  of 
sound  education.  They 
were  all  good  men  and 
strong,  and  the  influ- 
ence of  some  of  them 
extended  far  beyond 
the  circle  of  the  "L\:>ur 
Corners"  i  n  a  (juiet 
Dutch  village. 

Tlie  first   meeting  of 
the  Board  of  I'rustees, 
after    the    charter    was 
Seal  Adopted  1787  granted,     was     held     in 

the  Hall,  Deccnd)er  17,  1 7S7.  vSenalor  John  \i\u  Der  l)ilt  was 
chosen  President;  A(|uila  (liles,  Secretary  or  Clerk,  and  Leter 
Lefferts,  Treasin-er.  At  this  meeting  the  President-elect  offered 
the  Board  a  seal  for  tise  in  1)usiness  transactions.  Tlie  device  rep- 
resented ''Pomona  watering  a  vine  and  the  sim  rising  thereon, 


H-3 

n 


■^--^.•rr 


<->'^'- 


;.; 


-  o 


>__:2fc_ 


Ci-- 


35 


OTftronicle^  of  oEra^mu^  I^all  aicaticmp  z7 

with  the  motto,  Cnstode  Dea  Crescet/'"^'     The  seal  was  accepted, 
and  is  still  the  seal  of  the  School. 

The  Academy  was  built ;  it  was  incorporated  by  the  Regents; 
and  a  strong  Board  of  Trustees  was  created  ;  yet  the  men  who 
were  entrusted  with  the  task  of  making  an  academy  had  no  model 
after  which  to  shape  one.  They  were  pioneers  in  the  field  of 
academic  instruction  in  America.  Erasmus  Hall  is,  therefore,  a 
growth  and  may  be  taken  to  illustrate  steps  in  the  progress  of 
secondary  education  under  the  Regents  of  the  wState  of  New 
York. 

^bminisitratioit  of  tl)t  3^eb.  3Fof)n  ^,  Hibinsston,  B.  1B„ 

1787=1792 

From  the  first  conception  of  the  idea  of  an  academy  in  Flat- 
bush,  Dr.  Livingston  was  the  real  strength  of  this  educational 
niovement.  In  addition  to  his  duties  as  pastor  of  a  New  York 
City  church,  and  as  Professor  of  Sacred  Theology  for  America, 
he,  at  the  request  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  assumed  the  duties  of 
Principal  of  the  new  academy.  The  Trustees  did  not  see  their  way 
clear  to  allow  him  a  salary,  but  they  generously  notified  him  that 
they  proposed,  when  the  funds  of  the  institution  would  warrant 
it,  to  pay  him  a  salary  which  would  "not  be  below  their  dignity 
to  offer,  or  his  to  accept. "t  Dr.  Livingston,  however,  never  acted 
as  a  teacher  at  the  Hall.  His  influence  was  felt  in  the  selection 
of  the  teachers,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Board,  and  in  his. 
close  supervision  of  the  work. 

At  first  the  work  of  the  Academy  must  have  been  very  simple., 
but  this  was  at  a  time  when  the  college  course  was  extremely  ele- 
mentary. Edward  Everett  Hale  is  reported  as  saying  that  wliei> 
he  prepared  for  college  he  was  expected  to  know  his  Greek  alpha- 
bet and  to  be  able  to  read  his  Virgil.  In  1788  the  Trustees  fixed! 
the  standard  of  Erasmus  Hall  as  follows :  '*As  this  institution  is 
designed  to  be  superior  to  a  common  school,  the  Board  resolved 
that  no  scholars  be  admitted  into  the  Hall  but  such  as  have  begun 
to  write. "J 

Early  in  1788,  the  first  year  of  the  Academy,  the  school  was 
visited  by  Regents  Egbert  Brush  and  Peter  Sylvester,  who  made 
the  following  very  flattering  report : 


*  Minutes  of  the  Trustees,   December   17,    1787-  +  Minutes   of   Board,   April   3   and 

November  9,   1788;     January  23  and  February  13,   1789-  J  Minutes. 


38  Cf)ronicIc$  of  (Srasmus^  I^all  glcatiemp 

"The  academies  which  have  been  incorporated  by  us  are :  Erasmus  Hall, 
at  Flatbush,  in  Kings  County,  and  Clinton  Academy,  at  East  Hampton,  in  the 
County  of  Suffolk;  the  first  (Erasmus  Hall)  consisted,  at  the  late  visitation, 
of  26  students  under  the  tuition  of  Air.  Brandt  Schuyler  Luptin.  The 
Revd.  John  H.  Livingston,  Doctor  of  Divinity,  had  been  appointed  Principal 
of  the  Academy,  and  in  conjunction  with  the  trustees  had  signified  a  deter- 
mination that  the  classical  and  English  departments  shall  be  regularly  attended 
to  by  proper  teachers;  the  first  of  these  departments  is  to  comprise  the  Latin 
and  Greek  languages,  with  geography  and  the  outlines  of  ancient  and  modern 
history ;  the  latter  to  comprehend  the  English  language,  reading,  writing, 
arithmetic  and  bookkeeping.  It  is  intended  that  the  French  language  shall 
also  be  taught  to  those  who  request  it,  and  elocution  attended  to  in  both 
departments.  This  institution  is  at  present  in  its  infancy  and  unprovided  with 
funds,  but  the  scholars  have  given  encouraging  proofs  of  diligence  and  pro- 
ficiency."* 

The  Trustees,  careful  and  painstaking  in  their  management 
and  supervision  of  the  young  school,  early  deemed  it  wise  to  have 
a  fixed  code  of  laws  regulating  the  conduct  of  pupils  and  teachers. 
Therefore,  to  satisfy  patrons,  on  the  first  of  November,  1788, 
the  Board  adopted  the  following  rules  for  the  government  of 
Erasmus  Hall. 

CHAPTER  I. 

1.  Erasmus  Hall  being  incorporated  agreeable  to  the  Act  of  Legislature 
of  the  State  of  New  York,  the  government  of  the  institution  is  immediately 
vested  in  the  Trustees,  who  are  distinguished  by  the  same  name  and  title 
of  the  Trustees  of  Erasmus  Hall,  in  Kings  County. 

2.  The  particular  care  and  direction  of  the  Academy  is  placed  in  the 
principal,  who,  by  an  instrument  executed  for  that  purpose  by  the  Trustees, 
is  authorized  to  procure  teachers  and  superintend  the  general  concerns  of 
the  institution. 

3.  The  discipline  is  committed  to  the  Principal  and  teachers,  who  are  to 
enforce  the  laws  and  be  exemplary  and  diligent  in  procuring  the  peace  and 
good  order  of  the  Academy. 

CHAPTER  II. 

OF   THK   TEACHERS. 

1.  The  number  of  teachers  in  the  Hall  will  depend  upon  the  numl)er  of 
students,  but  there  shall  be  constantly  two  departments  at  least  supplied  with 
competent  and  able  teachers. 

2.  The  first  department  is  the  Classical,  in  which  the  Latin  and  Greek 
languages  shall  be  taught,  and  to  which  Geography  shall  be  annexed. 

3.  The  second  department  is  the  I'.nglish.  in  which  Reading,  English,  the 
luiglish  Grammar,   Writing,  Arithmetic  and    I  bookkeeping  are  comprehended. 


Report  to   I'o.-ird  of   Regents,   l'"cl)rnaiy   26,    1788. 


Cfjroniclci^  of  €rai^mii!^  l^all  aicaticmp  39 

4.  The  teachers  in  both  departments  shall  mutually  assist  each  other 
as  far  as  their  diligent  attention  to  their  own  respective  branches  will  per- 
mit, and  shall  always  unite  in  promoting  the  reputation  and  prosperity  of 
the  Hall  to  the  utmost  of  their  ability. 

5.  The  teacher  in  the  Classical  Department  is  the  first  in  rank,  and 
shall  have  a  right  to  inspect  the  progress  of  all  the  students  in  their  respective 
branches  as  often  as  he  shall  judge  necessar}^,  unless  the  Principal  shall  other- 
wise direct. 

CHAPTER  HI. 

OF   THE    STUDENTS. 

1.  Every  student  who  is  admitted  in  Erasmus  Hall  shall  be  regularly 
matriculated  in  a  book  kept  for  that  purpose. 

2.  No  person  shall  be  received  as  a  student  who  is  of  evil  fame  or  has 
been  obliged  to  leave  any  other  seminary  for  bad  conduct,  unless  he  pro- 
duces sufficient  testimony  of  his  reformation. 

3.  Every  student  shall  be  subject  to  the  laws,  rules  and  ordinances  of 
the  Hall,  and  his  parents  or  guardians  shall  punctually  pay  such  sums  for 
entrance  and  education  as  the  Trustees  shall   stipulate. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

OF  REWARDS   AND  PUNISHMENTS. 

1.  As  it  is  the  object  of  this  institution  to  educate  youth  on  a  liberal 
plan  and  frame  their  manners  upon  the  principles  of  virtue  and  politeness, 
no  vulgar  expression  or  boisterous  and  indecent  threatenings  shall  ever  be 
used  by  the  teachers,  but  such  arguments  and  incentives  to  diligence  and 
duty  be  urged  as  shall  habituate  the  students  to  language  and  conduct  worthy 
of  gentlemen. 

2.  The  obedience  and  industry  of  the  students  shall  be  rewarded  at  the 
public  examinations  by  some  literary  premium,  at  the  discretion  of  the 
Principal  and  Trustees,  or  by  a  public  address  calculated  to  excite  and 
encourage  them  to  a  generous  perseverance  in  well  doing. 

3.  The  punishments  to  be  inflicted  in  the  Hall  shall  not  tend  to  create 
a  slavish  fear,  or  by  any  species  of  cruelty  or  meanness  debase  the  students, 
but  they  shall  be  such  as  will  operate  on  their  sentiments  of  honor  and  gen- 
erosity, of  duty  and  of  piety. 

4.  If  private  and  public  admonitions  shall  prove  unavailing,  the  teachers 
shall  report  the  case  to  the  Principal,  who,  together  with  the  Trustees,  shall 
decide  the  matter. 

CHAPTER  V. 

OF   EXAMINATIONS. 

I.  There  shall  be  four  quarterly  examinations  every  year  in  Erasmus 
Hall,  in  the  presence  of  the  Trustees  and  Principal  and  such  patrons  of  learn- 
ing as  choose  to  attend,  when  the  progress  of  all  the  students  shall  be  strictly 
inquired  into. 


40  €i}to\ndt$  of  aBrasmus  l^all  3lcaDcmp 

2.  Ill  the  examinations  public  orations  shall  be  delivered  by  the  students. 

3.  Private  examinations  shall  be  frequently  held  by  the  teachers  at  their 
own  discretion. 

CHAPTER  VI. 

OF    VACATIONS. 

I.  There  shall  be  only  two  stated  vacations  in  a  year,  each  three  weeks; 
one  to  commence  in  the  beginning  of  April,  and  the  other  in  the  beginning  of 
October. 

2.  The  day  following  the  quarterly  examinations  shall  always  be  a  day  of 
rest  to  the  students,  on  which  the  ordinary  exercises  of  the  Hall  shall  be 
suspended. 

3.  On  New  Year's  Day,  Easter,  Whitsuntide  and  Christmas,  the  ordinary 
duties  may  also  be  remitted,  at  the  discretion  of  the  teachers. 

4.  It  shall  also  be  in  the  power  of  the  teachers  to  reward  any  singular 
diligence  and  hard  study  by  giving  a  deserving  student  or  class  the  half  or 
the  whole  of  a  day  for  recreation,  provided  such  rewards  be  not  too  frequent, 
and  that  the  students  do  not  leave  the  village  on  such  davs. 


^&^ 


CHAPTER  VII. 

OF    THE    CONDUCT    AND    BEHAVIOR    OF    THE    STUDENTS. 

1.  The  students  shall  honor  the  teachers  and  always  testify  a  proper 
respect,  subordination  and  obedience  to  them. 

2.  Every  student  as  well  as  the  teachers  shall  be  punctual  in  attending 
public  prayers,  both  morning  and  evening,  in  the  Hall. 

3.  Every  student  shall  be  friendl}^  kind  and  affable  to  all  his  fellow 
students.  There  shall  be  no  nicknames,  no  harsh  words  or  angry  threatenings 
used,  nor  shall  anyone  presume  to  strike  another,  and  the  teachers  shall  make 
strict  inquiry  to  discover  the  cause  of  every  quarrel  and  distinguish  the 
student  who  gave  the  provocation  by  superior  and  exemplary  punishment. 

4.  The  students  shall  be  polite  in  their  conversation  and  intercourse  with 
strangers,  and  shall  most  carefully  avoid  all  low,  vulgar,  obscene  words,  as 
well  as  all  indecency  of  conduct. 

5.  The  students  shall  always  appear  clean  and  neat  in  their  person  and 
dress.  They  shall  take  ofif  their  hats  when  they  enter,  and  continue  with 
their  heads  uncovered  while  they  remain  in  the  Hall,  nor  shall  any  of  them 
run  or  make  any  noise  on  any  pretence  whatever  in  the  Hall. 

6.  No  students  shall  either  in  jest  or  anger  throw  anything  at  any  per- 
son, or  offer  an\'  violence  whereby  others  may  be  hurt  or  injured. 

7.  No  student  shall  trespass  upon  the  property  of  any  person,  or  walk  on 
any  enclosure,  or  take  any  fruit,  without  hrst  obtaining  permission  of  the 
owner. 

8.  There  shall  be  no  profane  swearing  in  Erasmus  Hall.  Every  student 
who  shall  be  guilty  of  cursing  another  or  taking  the  holy  name  of  God  in 
vain  or  using  any  profane  language  shall  be  immediately  called  to  account  and 
punished,  agreeably  to  the  order  and  process  hereafter  specified  without  any 
discretionary  pardon. 

9.  No  student  shall  be  permitted  to  practice  any  species  of  gaming,  nor 


Old   ]\Iantel  ix   the   Office 


CfjrDnicIe-e?  of  €ra>0fmu^  i^all  3lcaDemp 


43 


to  drink  any  spiritnons  liquors,  nor  to  go  into  any  tavern  in  Flat  Bush  under 
any  pretense  whatever  without  first  obtaining  the  consent  of  one  of  the 
teachers. 

10.  The  students  shall  not  break  the  Sabbath  by  any  plays  or  diversions, 
but  every  one  shall  attend  prayers  on  that  day  in  the  Hall  with  the  teachers, 
unless  there  is  English  preaching  in  Flat  Bush,  when  at  least  one  of  the 
teachers  and  all  the  students,  excepting  such  as  are  excused  at  the  par- 
ticular request  of  their  parents  or  guardians,  shall  walk  together  from  the 
Hall  to  the  church  and  stay  decently  in  such  places  together  as  shall  be 
assigned  for  that  purpose. 

11.  No  student  shall  be  permitted  to  fire  a  gun  within  the  bounds  of 
Flat  Bush,  nor  shall  any  one  possess  powder  or  divert  himself  with  pistols 
or  any  fireworks  whatever. 

12.  Students  shall  not  go  beyond  the  limits  of  the  township  of  Flat  Bush 
without  first  obtaining  the  permission  of  one  of  the  teachers. 

13.  No  student  shall  be  absent  from  the  Hall  on  the  stated  hours  for 
study  without  the  consent  of  the  teacher  of  the  class  to  which  he  belongs. 

14.  All  the  students  shall  be  at  their  lodgings  early  every  evening,  and 
shall  by  an  affectionate,  polite  and  faithful  behavior  endeavor  to  recommend 
themselves  to  the  respective  families  where  the}'  board,  and  give  no  cause  of 
complaint  or  dissatisfaction. 

15.  The  students  who  shall  not  in  every  respect  obey  the  aforesaid  laws 
shall  for  the  first  offense  be  faithfully  admonished  in  private  b}^  the  teacher 
of  their  class ;  for  the  second  offence  they  shall  be  admonished  before  their 
class;  for  the  third  they  shall  be  publicly  admonished  before  the  whole  Hall, 
and  in  case  of  a  fourth  offense,  their  crime  shall  be  reported  to  the  Trustees 
that  they  may  expel  such  offenders. 

16.  As  a  farther  inducement  to  obedience  and  good  order,  the  Principal 
and  teachers  shall  keep  a  book  in  which  they  shall  enter  the  name  of  every 
student  who  is  publicly  admonished  in  the  Hall,  together  with  his  crime,  which 
book  shall  be  laid  before  the  Trustees  whenever  they  shall  call  for  the  same. 

The  chapters  and  paragraphs  foregoing  are  to  be  considered  as  containing 
the  laws,  ordinances  and  statutes  of  Erasmus  Hall ;  and  that  none  may  plead 
ignorance  of  the  laws,  the  seventh  chapter,  which  respects  the  behavior  of 
the  students,  shall  be  fairly  copied  and  hung  up  in  the  Hall  for  the  inspection 
and  instruction  of  all  concerned.* 

In  reviewing-  the  history  of  Erasmus  Hall  we  are  brought  back 
to  the  days  of  the  militia  and  of  general  training.  The  projectors 
of  the  Academy,  in  their  anxiety  to  guard  the  interests  of  the 
institution,  earnestly  petitioned  the  Legislature  to  exempt  the 
pupils  at  the  Hall  from  service  in  the  militia.  The  reason  assigned 
was  that  such  service  would  be  unjust  to  students  from  the 
Southern  States  and  from  the  West  Indies. t 

In  early  years  the  entrance  fee  to  the  Hall  was  one  half  guinea, 
and  the  tuition  was  three  pounds  ten  shillings  for  English  instruc- 


ATinutes,   Xovcmlier    i,    1788.        t  Minutes,   November   i,    1788. 


44 


Cf^ronicICiB?  of  a2ra^mu0  l^all  SlcaDcmp 


tion.  For  instruction  in  all  other  departments  the  entrance  fee 
was  one  guinea,  and  the  tuition  was  six  pounds.  There  seems  to 
have  been  some  discrimination  in  favor  of  Flatbush  pupils.  On 
being  requested  by  the  Regents  to  make  no  discrimination,  the 
Trustees  replied  that  ''Owing  to  the  opposition  of  the  inhabitants 
of  Flatbush"  they  feared  that  the  Church  would  employ  a  good 
teacher  in  the  Public  School,  and  charge  only  four  pounds  a 
year  for  tuition.*  It  seems  froni  many  indications  that  there 
was  a  little  feeling,  on  the  part  of  those  who  were  not  financially 
interested  in  the  Academy,  against  the  institution.  Some  of 
the  residents  of  Flatbush  who  could  easily  afford  to  send  their 
children  to  school  refused  to  do  so.  As  it  will  appear  later, 
there  were  those  who  were  interested  in  the  Commons,  who 
refused  to  sign  away  their  rights  in  the  interest  of  the  Hall. 
The  story  is  told  of  an  old  resident  who,  when  driving  along 
the  road  with  a  load  of  grain,  fell  from  his  wagon,  and  on 
rising  from  the  ground,  cursed  Erasmus  Hall  for  the  accident. 
This  feeling,   however,   was  overcome   at  a   later  time. 

One  of  the  first  movements 
on  the  part  of  the  Trustees 
was  in  the  direction  of  se- 
curing a  library.  As  early 
as  1/88,  one  dollar  was  ex- 
acted from  every  pupil  study- 
ing the  languages  for  the  pur- 
pose of  purchasing  books. 
The  complaints  of  parents, 
however,  caused  this  practice 
to  be  discontinued. t  So  the 
Trustees  became  dependent 
upon  the  Regents  for  library 
and  equipment.  On  May  2, 
1 79 1,  the  Regents  presented 
the  Academy  with  115  books 
and  the  following  pieces  of 
apparatus :  one  thermometer, 
one  barometer,  one  very  small 
magnet,  an  electrical  appara- 
tus, one  theodolite  and  chair, 
Book  Platk,  AnoiTKi.  1797  0"e     Fladley's     (juadrant,     a 

Minntos,    1791.  t  Mituitcs,  April  3,    1788. 


^=^-\^ 


orftroniclcs?  of  ^raamu.s?  l^all  3lcaDcmp  45 

small  telescope,  two  ])risms,  and  a  case  of  drawing-  instru- 
ments. John  Tod,  the  chief  teacher,  was  appointed  cus- 
todian of  apparatus  and  books.  Among  the  books  furnished 
at  this  time  were  Johnson's  Dictionary,  Goldsmith's  Roman  His- 
tory and  his  Animated  Nature,  the  Spectator,  the  Rambler,  the 
Guardian,  Paradise  Lost,  and  others  of  similar  character,  some  of 
which  are  still  in  the  school  library.  It  will  be  noticed  that  this 
selection  was  made  when  Goldsmith,  as  a  historian  and  scientist, 
was  an  authority,  and  his  books  were  very  popular.  The  school 
would  be  considered  progressive  to  have  such  books  in  its  library. 

Outside  of  Flatbush  the  school  seems  to  have  become  popular 
at  once,  though  there  is  no  record  pertaining  to  the  methods  of 
advertising  employed.  Students  came  not  only  from  the  neigh- 
boring villages  and  cities  and  States,  but  from  long  distances. 
In  a  list  of  the  students  for  1787  w-e  find  tw^o  from  the  West 
Indies,  one  from  Xew  Orleans,  and  one  from  France.  In  a  list  for 
1788,  Pennsylvania  and  North  Carolina  are  represented,  while 
there  is  a  student  from  each  :  The  Island  of  Jamaica,  Island  of 
St.  Thomas,  Island  of  Granada,  Island  of  Tortolo.  In  1789  South 
Carolina,  Georgia  and  ^Maryland  are  represented,  while  among 
foreign  countries,  St.  Croix,  France,  and  Portugal  are  sending 
students.  So  well  w'as  the  institution  known  that  in  an  old  leather- 
bound  book  published  in  Boston  in  1791,  a  traveler  from  New 
England  makes  this  statement:  "In  this  State  [New  York]  there 
are  several  academies.  One  of  them,  Erasmus  Hall,  is  in  the 
delightful  and  flourishing  village  of  "Flatbush.""^' 

Again,  in  1790,  Erasmus  Hall  was  subject  to  visitation  by  the 
Regents,  and  the  condition  of  the  Academy  may  be  learned  from 
the  report  recorded  in  the  IMinutes  of  that  body  under  the  date  of 
February  15th:  ''Doctor  (William)  Linn  and  General  (Mathew) 
Clarkson  reported  that  they  had,  according  to  the  directions  of 
the  Board,  visited  Erasmus  Hall  in  October  last  (at  which  time 
there  were  ^2  scholars)  and  were  highly  pleased  with  the  growing 
state  of  the  seminary,  the  diligence  of  the  teachers  and  the  pro- 
ficiency of  the  scholars." 

Originally  the  number  of  Trustees  of  Erasmus  Hall  w^as  nine- 
teen. This  self-perpetuating  Board  assumed  the  responsibility  of 
increasing  the  number  of  members.  Candidates  were  elected  by 
vote,  on  nomination,  at  any  meeting,  a  majority  vote  electing  to 


V'anderbilt,  p.  201. 


46 


Cl)roniclc.0  of  aJra$mu5  l^all  Slcaticinp 


membership.  In  the  period  between  1787  and  1789,  six  new 
names  were  added  to  the  hst  of  Trustees.  Early  in  the  existence 
of  the  Board  the  Trustees  adopted  the  following  rules  of  conduct, 
indicating  that  they  had  their  own  troubles  while  attempting  to 
legislate  for  the  interests  of  the  Academy:  "(  i)  Only  one  mem- 
ber shall  speak  at  a  time  ;  (2)  All  motions  and  addresses  shall  be 
made  to  the  Chair,  and  standing;  (3)  Xo  notice  shall  be  taken 
of  any  motion  that  is  not  seconded;  (4)  If  two  members  shall 
rise  to  speak,  the  President  shall  decide  Avhich  is  entitled  to  speak 
first."* 

On  the  26th  day  of  April,  1790,  the  Board  of  Trustees  adopted 
an  important  resolution  govern- 
ing the  membership  of  that  body. 
Some  members  had  never  attend- 
ed the  meetings  of  the  Board, 
others  were  indifferent  about  at- 
tending. On  the  above  date  it 
was  resolved  that  if  any  member 
should  absent  himself  from  the 
meetings  for  one  year,  without 
sufihcient  excuse,  his  seat  should 
be  considered  vacant.  This  is 
called  the  "By-Law  of  Limita- 
tion."''' This  method  of  comi)el- 
ling  attendance  upon  its  meetings 
did  not  seem  to  have  the  desired 
eff'ect,  so  on  the  17th  day  of  Octo- 
ber, 1 79 1,  a  fine  of  two  shillings 
was  voted  on  members  for  ab- 
sences from  the  meetings  of  the 
Board.  There  is  no  record  of  this  regulation  having  been  en- 
forced, though  the  former  one  continued  in  force  as  long  as  the 
institution  remained  a  ])rivate  academy.'^ 

(){  student  life  in  these  (la}-s  \'er\'  little  can  be  learned.  Ouite 
a  number  who  came  from  a  distance  boarded  in  the  school;  yet 
as  the  numl)er  increased  and  the  rooms  l)ecame  full,  some  of  the 
students  found  h\  ing  places  in  the  homes  of  the  farmers.  Though 
their  circumstances  did  not  com])el  them  to  take  Ix^arders,  the 
inhabitants  of  I'datbush  entered  into  an  agreement  to  take  pupils 
into  tlu'ir  families  and  to  give  them  homes.     They  furnished  bed. 


Wn.LiAM  Alexander  Duer 
was  once  a  student,  according 
to  Mrs.  Strong,  in  Erasmus 
Hall.  He  was  born  in  Rhine- 
beck,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  8,  1780,  and 
died  in  New  York  on  the  30th 
of  May,  1858.  By  profession, 
he  was  a  lawyer.  He  became 
distinguished  as  a  writer  for 
some  of  the  periodicals  of  the 
time.  He  was  a  supporter  of 
Aaron  Burr.  As  a  member  of 
the  State  Assembly,  he  served 
upon  the  Committee  of  Colleges 
and  Academies.  He  was  the 
originator  of  the  bill  estabhsh- 
ing  an  income  for  the  common 
schools.  He  became  Judge  of 
the  Supreme  Court,  and  in  1820, 
he  was  elected  President  of 
Columbia  College,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1842. — Cyclopedia 
of  American  Biography. 


Minutes. 


Cl)rDnicle.0  of  aEra,i6^mu.s?  l^all  ^catieinp 


47 


board  and  washing  for  twenty  pounds  per  annum. -^''  The  boys 
undoubtedly,  hke  other  boys,  were  fond  of  a  good  time.  One  of 
the  Trustees  made  at  one  time  complaints  against  a  boy  for  steal- 
ing apples.  In  a  journal  kept  by  J.  Baxter,  who  lived  in  Flat- 
lands,  under  the  date  of  October  13,  1792,  occurs  the  following 
laconic  note:  ''Went  to  the  meeting  to  the  church  about  the 
Academy  boys,  who  had  played  the  d 1." 

The  money  obtained  by  voluntary  contributions  was  first 
applied  to  the  debt  incurred  by  the  projectors,  but  it  proved  insuf- 
ficient to  defray  the  expenditures.  The  buildings  and  grounds 
had  cost  $6,250.  After  all  subscriptions  had  been  collected,  there 
still  remained  a  debt  of  $2,500. 
The  founders  and  benefactors  of 
the  institution  then  turned  their 
attention  to  another  source  of  in- 
come. A  considerable  tract  of 
land  belonging  to  the  inhabitants 
of  Flatbush  and  held  by  them  in 
common,  was  directed  to  be  sold. 
"The  founders  of  the  Academy 
held  proportionate  rights  in  the 
Common,  and  agreed  that  their 
respective  proportions  should  be 
applied  towards  paying  the  debt 
which  they  had  contracted,  and 
the  money  obtained  in  this  way 
was  accordingly  ap]died."t  The 
tract  of  land  thus  sold  lay  east  of 
the  village,  and  was  known  as 
"Twiller's"  and  "Corlear's"  Flats.  After  paying  those  inhabitants 
of  the  town  who  would  not  relinquish  their  rights  to  these  com- 
mons in  favor  of  the  Academy,  the  projectors  were  able  to  reduce 
the  incumbrance  by  about  $1,500.  By  the  12th  of  September,  1789, 
the  debt  had  been  reduced  to  $1,064.94.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that 
in  their  report  to  the  Regents  in  1791,  the  Trustees  were  able  to  state 
that  those  who  had  been  unfriendly  had  been  so  far  won  over  as  to 
contribute  over  one  hundred  pounds  toward  the  debt  of  the  school. 

In  the  selection  of  teachers,  the  wisdom  of  Dr.  Livingston  and 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees  may  be  judged  from  a  few  facts 
gathered  largely  from  the  Minutes  of  the  Board.     The  Principal 


John  ]\Iacpherson  Berrien, 
once  a  student  at  Erasmus 
Hall,  was  born  in  New  Jersey, 
August  21,  1781.  He  died  in 
Savannah,  Ga.,  January  i,  1856. 
In  1796,  after  graduating  from 
Princeton,  he  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  of  Georgia  and  rose  to 
the  position  of  District  Judge. 
He  served  a  term  in  the 
Georgia  Senate  and  four  terms 
in  the  United  States  Senate. 
From  1829  to  1831,  he  was  At- 
torney-General of  the  United 
States.  In  1844,  he  was  a  dele- 
gate from  Georgia  in  the  Con- 
vention of  Baltimore  that  nomi- 
nated Henry  Clay  for  presi- 
dency. He  was  one  of  the 
Board  of  Regents  of  the  Smith- 
sonian Institution. — Cyclopedia 
of  American  Biography. 


Minutes.   Febrviary  2^,   1791. 


t  Lott,   ^linutes,  December  2-/,   1809. 


48 


€f)roniclc0  of  a2ra.$mu.i8f  l^all  acaDcmp 


himself  represented  the 
highest  education  of 
the  times,  being  a  grad- 
uate from  one  of  tlie 
greatest  of  American 
universities,  and  also 
from  a  very  distin- 
guished European  uni- 
versity. Among  the 
teachers  selected  was 
James  Tod,  who  was 
distinguished  at  that 
time  as  a  teacher  of 
Latin  and  Greek.  Ed- 
ward Shepherd,  who 
was  appointed  two 
years  after  the  opening 
of  the  school,  was  paid  a  salary  of  one  hundred  pounds,  fully 
equivalent  to  $1,500  at  the  present  time.  Albert  O'Bleniss,  a 
graduate  of  Queens  (Rutgers)  College,  was  appointed  to  a  posi- 
tion as  first  teacher  in  1791,  at  a  salary  of  ninety  pounds.  In 
1792  a  French  teacher  was  appointed,  indicating  that  the  man- 
agement of  the  Academy  was  fully  alive  to  the  demands  of  the 
times.  But  the  action,  as  far  as  teachers  were  concerned,  which 
showed  the  greatest  wisdom  on  the  part  of  the  Trustees  and  the 
greatest  confidence  in  the  future  of  the  institution,  was  the 
appointment  of  Dr.  Peter  Wilson  as  chief  teacher. 

This  appointment  w-as  extremely  formal  and  business-like. 
First,  the  Board  "Resolved  unanimously  that  Peter  AVilson,  Esq., 
Professor  of  Languages  in  Columbia  College,  be  called  as  chief 
teacher  in  this  Ilall,  and  that  the  following  instrument  of  waiting 
have  the  seal  of  the  corporation  affixed  thereto:" 


A  Window  in  the  Old  Attic 


Instrument. 

"The  Trustees  of  Erasmus  Hall  in  Kings  County,  being  well  acquainted 
with  the  character  and  abihties  of  Peter  Wilson,  I^sq.,  Professor  of  Languages 
in  Columbia  Colk'ge.  and  having  resolved  to  call  Peter  Wilson,  I'^sq.,  to  be 
chief  teacher  in  said  Ilall,  these  persons  witness  that  they  have  called  and 
hereby  do  call  said  Peter  Wilson,  I'lsq.,  to  be  the  chief  teacher  in  said  Hall; 
and  to  take  upon  himself  the  direction  and  management  of  the  tuition  of  the 
youth,  agreeable  to  the  constitution  of  the  said  Hall;  and  in  all  things  to 
fullil    the    duties   of   a    chief    teacher;    and    upon    his    faithful!}'    fultilling   the 


arfjroniclcs  of  OSrai^mui^  l^all  glcaticmp  49 

said  duties,  the  Trustees  of  said  Hall  do  hereby  promise  and  engage  and  bind 
themselves  and  their  successors  to  pay  the  said  Peter  Wilson,  Esq.,  yearly 
and  every  year  in  half-yearly  paj'ments  as  long  as  he  shall  remain  a  teacher 
in  said  Hall,  the  full  and  just  sum  of  400  pounds  current  money  of  New 
York;  and  further,  the  said  Trustees  do  also  engage  to  bring  to  the  Hall 
from  the  landing  place  all  the  fire  wood  that  shall  be  wanted  and  consumed  in 
the  said  Hall  yearly  and  every  year ;  and  lastly,  the  said  Trustees  do  also 
promise  to  put  the  said  Peter  Wilson,  Esq.,  in  full  possession  of  the  house 
and  garden  as  heretofore  have  been  possessed  by  the  late  teacher,  and  per- 
mit him  to  remain  in  the  quiet  possession  thereof  as  long  as  he  shall  continue 
the  chief  teacher  as  aforesaid. 

"In  witness  whereof  the  Trustees  aforesaid  have  hereunto  affixed  the 
seal  of  the  said  corporation  this  twenty-sixth  day  of  March,  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  one  thousand  seventeen  hundred  and  ninety-two,  by  order  of  the 
Board.  * 

"Aa.  Giles,  Clerk. 

"John   Vanderbilt,   President." 

Dr.  Wilson  accepted  this  call,  as  well  he  might,  for  the  salary 
offered  him  was  an  extremely  large  one  for  those  days.  His 
appearance  at  the  Academy  greatly      


relieved    the    Principal    from    the  t  wt         tt 

^  JOHN     Ward     Hunter    was 

onerous  duties  as  such.  born  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.  Octo- 

For  five  vears  Dr.  Livingston  ber  15,  1807.    He  was  educated 

,1         -r.  •   '  •      1     r  ^1        \        1  in     the     common     schools     of 

acted  as  Prmcipal  ot  the  Academy.  Brooklyn     and     attended     the 

In      November,      1792,      realizing,         Academy  at  Flatbush.    He  was 

probably,  that  his  theological  sem-        elected    to     Congress    to    fill 

1 J  ,1        ,         .     1       .  out    an    unexpired    term.      He 

mary    would    not    be    located    at        ^^.^^^  ^^^^^^  ^f  Brooklyn  from 

Flatbush,  he  determined  to  with-        1875    to    1876. — Cyclopedia    of 

draw  from  active  participation  in         American  Biography. 

the  management  of  the  Hall.    His 

attitude  toward  the  Academy  may  be  understood  from  his  letter 

of  resignation. 

New  York,  November  28,  1792. 

Dear  Sirs  :  It  is  necessary  for  me  to  inform  you  that  my  attachment  to 
the  interests  of  Erasmus  Hall  has  from  the  first  projection  of  the  institution 
to  the  present  moment  always  engaged  me  to  do  everything  in  my  power  to 
advance  its  usefulness  and  growdng  reputation.  It  was  for  that  reason  I 
consented  to  accept  the  proposals  which  were  first  made  to  me  by  the  Trustees ; 
and  afterwards,  when  an  alteration  was  conceived  to  be  proper  in  the  general 
arrangement,  I  as  cheerfully  acquiesced.  It  was  to  fulfil  the  requirement  of 
the  law  which  made  the  office  necessary  that  I  determined  to  continue  as 
Principal,  and  I  am  conscious  of  having  been  always  ready  to  afford  every 


*  Minutes,  March  24,  1792. 

4 


50  arf|ronicfc.0  of  Cra^musf  I9all  acaDcmp 

assistance  which  my  friendship  and  attention  could  bestow.  I  am  now 
happy  in  seeing  the  prosperity  of  an  academ}'  whose  welfare  lies  so  near 
my  heart ;  and  as  the  great  end  for  which  I  consented  to  be  your  Principal 
appears  to  be  fully  obtained,  I  conceive  it  to  be  proper  to  communicate  to  the 
Board  of  Trustees  b\-  this  letter  that  I  wish  to  resign  to  them  the  office, 
and  at  the  same  time  congratulate  them  upon  the  success  with  which  it  has 
pleased  God  in  His  good  providence  to  crown  our  mutual  endeavors.  My 
personal  friendship  for  Mr.  Wilson,  but  chiefly  my  full  confidence  in  his 
abilities  and  integrity  which  wnll  ever  prompt  him  to  exert  himself  in  pro- 
moting the  best  interests  of  the  Academy,  incline  me  more  particularly  to 
make  this  resignation  in  order  that  the  office  may  be  conferred  upon  him ; 
as  he  is  the  chief  teacher,  I  wish  him  to  be  also  the  Principal.  I  am  so  fully 
determined  in  favorable  sentiments  respecting  him  that  I  conceive  any  inter- 
ference of  a  Principal  is  altogether  unnecessary,  and  what  on  my  part  will 
never  be  done.  I  shall  continue  as  much  as  ever  to  wish  well  to  the  Hall, 
and  will  in  common  with  the  other  Trustees  endeavor  to  promote  its  suc- 
cess. The  Board  will  please  to  accept  of  my  resignation  with  my  sincere 
acknowledgments  for  their  friendship  and  confidence,  and  indulge  me  in  my 
request  that  ^Ir.  Wilson  may  be  appointed  the  Principal  in  my  room.  I  have 
not  spoken  to  him  upon  the  subject,  but  as  I  judge  it  proper  that  not  only 
the  real  but  also  the  nominal  care  of  the  superintendence  of  the  institution 
should  rest  wholly  and  alone  in  him,  I  hope  he  will  not  refuse  the  appoint- 
ment. With  sentiments  of  friendship  and  high  respect  for  yourself  and  the 
whole  Board  of  Trustees,  I  ever  am,  dear  sir,  your  affectionate  humble 
servant.  J.  H.  Livingston. 

The  Honorable  John  Vanderbilt^  Esq., 

President  of  the   Board  of  Trustees,   Erasmus   Hall. 

This  communication  elicited  the  following  answer  from  the 
Trustees : 

Erasmus  Hall,  December  8,  1792. 

Reverend  Sir:  Your  friendly  letter  was  handed  to  us  by  the  President 
of  the  Board  on  Wednesday  evening  last.  The  warm  attachments  you  so 
politely  express  to  the  interests  of  Erasmus  Hall  claim  our  grateful  acknowl- 
edgment. We  are  fully  persuaded  of  3^our  benevolent  heart.  We  cannot  for- 
get the  great  exertions  you  have  made  for  this  seminary  when  yet  in  its 
infant  state.  You  was  advisedly  chosen  its  Principal,  and  in  that  character 
you  have  distinguished  yourself  by  your  unshaken  fidelity,  your  candor  and 
disinterestedness.  The  patronizing  care  you  have  ever  observed  to  this 
hopeful  institution  has  been  crowned  with  success,  and  we  rejoice  with  you 
that  its  usefulness  is  so  extensive  and  its  reputation  growing.  At  this  juncture 
of  our  prosperous  circumstances  you  are  pleased  to  communicate  to  the 
Board  your  wish  to  resign  your  office  as  Principal.  To  this  a'OU  are  inclined 
(adopting  your  own  sentiments)  not  from  any  reluctance  to  espouse  its  inter- 
ests, but  as  the  great  end  for  which  you  consented  to  act  under  that  char- 
acter is  now  fully  obtained,  and  thereby  an\'  further  interference  on  your 
part   superseded.      It   is  not  our   wish.  Reverend   Sir,  to  call   in  question  the 


chronicles  of  a2ra0itiu$  l^all  SlcaDcniti  51 

propriety  of  those  motives  by  which  you  are  influenced  in  this  determina- 
tion. We  can  only  say  that  your  resignation  is  received  with  that  sincere 
regret  which  the  long  experience  of  your  worth  and  usefulness  naturally 
inspires,  and  which  can  only  be  allayed  by  the  full  confidence  we  place  in 
the  worthy  gentleman  you  wish  to  succeed  you  in  that  office.  While  your 
useful  life  is  prolonged,  we  shall  ever  esteem  it  our  happiness  to  discharge  the 
important  trust  committed  to  us  in  fellow  membership  with  }Ou.  We  are 
proud  of  the  connection  and  doubt  not  while  Erasmus  Hall  is  in  being  the 
tribute  of  gratitude  will  be  sacred  to  your  memor\-.  We  request  no  more 
but  a  continuance  of  your  favor  and  patronage  and  take  leave  to  add  with  the 
sincerest  acknowledgments  of  the  obligations  you  have  put  upon  us,  our 
mutual  prayer  for  your  personal  and  family  prosperity.  Long  may  you  live, 
Reverend  Sir,  an  honor  to  the  high  office  you  sustain,  a  patron  of  the  cause 
of  literature  and  an  ornament  of  that  society  of  which  you  are  so  valuable 
a  member.  We  remain  with  the  most  affectionate  regard.  Reverend  and  dear 
Sir,  your  most  obliged  devoted   friends  and  servants. 

By  order  of  the  Board.  Aa.  Giles^  Presiding  Trustee. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Dr.  Livingston  was  the  first,  and 
at  that  time,  the  only  theological      


professor  for  the  Reformed  Dutch  j^^^.  g^^^^  Linn  was  born 

Church  in  America.      He   had   no         in  Shippensburg,  Penn.,  March 

salary.      In    1791    the   Svnod   took         ^f,  i777.     He  died  in  Philadel- 

' -^ ,    ,  -  phia.  August  30,  1804.     He  was 

Steps  for  the  raising  of  a  fund  to         educated     at     Erasmus     Hall 

endow  this  professorship,  and  Dr.  Academy  and  at  Columbia  Col- 

.  '■  lege.   After  graduatmg.  he  read 

Peter  \\  ilson  was  made  custodian        law  with  Alexander  Hamilton, 

of  that  fund.*     There  was  thus  a        though  he  finallv  turned  his  at- 

.  ,        .  .        ,  tention  to  the  mmistrv.     When 

Strong  foundation  for  the  friend-         he  died  he  was  pastor  of  the 

ship  between  these  two  men.     After         First   Presbyterian   Church,  of 

.  .      ,      ,   ,  .         .         Philadelphia.     He  was   an  au- 

retiring  from  the  principalship  of         thor     of     some     celebrity     and 

the   Hall,  Dr.   Livingston  still  fa-         shared     his     labors     with     his 

IT-.,.,  .        ,  1  brother-in-law,  Charles  Brock- 

vored  Flatbush  as  a  site  for  the        den    Brown.  —  Cyclopedia    of 

theological  seminary  of  his  Church.        American  Biography. 
In  1794.  the  Synod  demanded  the 

time  of  its  professor,  and  adopted  the  report  of  a  committee  that 
was  of  the  opinion  ''That  the  town  of  Flatbush,  upon  Long 
Island,  is  a  proper  place  where  a  divinity  hall  may  be  opened  ;: 
and  therefore  recommend  the  same  to  the  Synod  for  that  purpose. 
A  flourishing  academy  is  there  established,  which  will  afford  an 
opportunity  for  the  students  in  theology  to  revise  their  other 
studies,  and  advance  in  collateral  branches  of  education."'^ 

The  hopes  of  Dr.  Livingston  and  his  friends,  however,  were 


*  Tklanual  of  the  Reformed   Dutch   Church  in  America,   Fourth   Edition,   p.    165. 
t  Quoted   in   Memoirs  of   Dr.   Livingston,   p.    216. 


52 


€f)ronicIc.s  of  ^ra,3^mu.s?  i^all  ^caDemp 


never  realized.  The  theological  seminary  was  finally  located  at 
New  Brunswick,  as  a  department  of  Rutgers.  Dr.  Livingston 
w^ent  thither  as  Professor  of  Theology.  Then  he  became  Presi- 
dent of  the  college,  ending  thus  a  very  active  career  as  a  religious 
instructor. 

^t^  ^bminisitration  of  Br.  ^eter  Wilson, 

1792=1805 

In  accordance  with  the  suggestion  of  Dr.  Livingston,  the 
Trustees  elected  Dr.  Wilson  to  the  position  of  Principal  of 
Erasmus  Hall  Academy. 


Dr.   Peter  Wilson 


Dr.  Wilson  was  a  man  of  considerable  note  in  political  and 
educational  circles  at  that  time.  He  was  born  in  Ordiquhill, 
Banff,  Scotland,  November  23,  1746.  He  died  in  New  Barbadoes, 
N.  J.,  August  I,  1825.  He  was  educated  at  the  University  of 
Aberdeen,  where  he  paid  particular  attention  to  classical  studies. 
Removing  to  New  York  City  in  1763  he  found  employment  as  a 
teacher.     Later  he  was  called  to  the  principalship  of  the  Hacken- 


€{)rDnicIc-e?  of  ^ta-e^mu^  i$M  9lcaticmp  53 

sack  (N.  J.)  Academy,  where,  over  the  front  windows  of  his  resi- 
dence his  own  name  and  that  of  his  wife,  cnt  in  the  stone,  were 
to  be  seen  until  a  very  recent  time.  In  1775  he  threw  himself 
with  great  zeal  into  the  political  movements  that  preceded  the 
Revolution,  and  from  1777  until  1783  he  served  in  the  New  Jersey 
Legislature.  It  is  said  that  on  one  occasion,  not  having  the 
means  or  the  opportunity  to  reach  his  home  in  any  other  way,  he 
left  the  Legislative  halls  and  walked  to  Hackensack  in  one  night. 
At  the  close  of  the  war  in  1783  he  was  appointed  to  revise  and 
codify  the  laws  of  the  State,  and  the  volume  bearing  his  name 
may  be  found  among  the  law  books  of  any  comprehensive  law 
library  of  the  present  time.  In  1789  he  was  elected  Professor  of 
Greek  and  Latin  in  Columbia  College,  and  he  held  this  office  until 
1792,  when  he  resigned  to  become  a  teacher  in  Erasmus  Hall 
Academy. 

In  1797,  after  giving  up  his  work  as  active  teacher  at  the  Hall, 
he  was  recalled  to  Columbia  as  Professor  of  Greek  and  Latin,  and 
of  Grecian  and  Roman  Antiquities,  which  chair  he  filled  until 
1820.  On  the  i6th  of  July,  1800,  Dr.  Johnson,  of  Columbia,  pre- 
sented his  resignation  as  president.  The  vacancy  in  the  pres- 
idency continued  a  year,  during  which  time  Professor  Wilson,  in 
connection  with  another  professor,  discharged  the  duties  of  the 
office.  In  181 7  the  trustees  discovered  that  Dr.  Wilson  was  feel- 
ing the  effects  of  advancing  years,  and  that  he  was  desirous  of 
devoting  his  time  to  the  higher  classes  in  the  college.  There  was 
established  for  his  benefit  an  adjunct  professorship  of  Latin  and 
Greek,  and  he  was  appointed  to  the  professorship.* 

In  scholarship  he  was  a  fit  successor  to  the  learned  theologian 
and  founder  of  the  school.  As  an  educator  he  was,  no  doubt,  the 
more  celebrated  of  the  two ;  but  as  an  organizer  and  adminis- 
trator he  did  not  seem  to  have  the  ability  and  the  power  of  his 
predecessor. 

The  school,  however,  still  had  sufficient  celebrity  to  call  it  to 
the  attention  of  people  from  abroad.  Through  the  courtesy  of  the 
late  Dr.  Homer  L.  Bartlett  an  interesting  notice  of  Erasmus  Hall 
has  been  secured.  It  is  from  a  book  entitled,  ''An  Excursion  to 
the  United  States  of  North  America  in  the  Summer  of  (1794) 
'94,"  by  Henry  Wansey,  F.A.S.  ''We  soon  got  to  Flatbush,  where 
I  observed  a  College  or  Academy ;  thither,  as  soon  as  the  coachee 
stopped,  I  directed  my  steps.     I  was  civilly  received,  and  shown 


*  Cyclopedia  of  American   Biography   and  notes   furnished  by  Mr.   G.   O.   Ward,   Chief 
Clerk  of  Columbia  University,   1905. 


54  €l)rDniclc0  of  €ra,sfmus?  l^all  glcabemp 

up  into  the  library,  where  I  saw  a  very  good  pair  of  globes  of 
Adams's,  a  reflecting  telescope  of  Dolland's,  and  an  electrical 
apparatus.  A  small,  but  well  chosen  library ;  but  seeing  very 
few  Greek  or  Latin  books,  I  asked  the  reason  of  it ;  the  master 
informed  me  that  though  they  had  near  a  hundred  pupils,  from 
different  States  of  the  Union,  and  some  as  far  off  as  Georgia,  that 
very  few  of  them  learned  the  classics ;  wdiich  (from  the  idea  that 
it  employed  too  much  of  the  boy's  time)  was  getting  very  much 
out  of  fashion.  There  were,  he  said,  now  such  good  translations 
into  English,  of  almost  all  the  fine  classic  authors  that  the  knowl- 
edge of  them  could  be  obtained  very  completely  without  a  young 
man's  hammering  so  long  a  time  at  hie,  haec,  hoc,  tupho,  tupso, 
tetupha.     I  smiled  at  his  observa- 

^      „  „,  .       ,   I      tion,    which    encouraged    him    to 

Dr.    Peter  Wilson   resigned  ° 

his  professorship  at  Columbia         say  that  the  habits   and   manners 

in   1820,  and  for  his  "faithful  ^f    Americans    were    so    different 

and    eminentlv    useful    services 

during  a  period  of  twenty-eight  from    those    of    Europe    that    they 

years,"  he  was  granted  an  an-  (Ji^-j  j^^^  ^^nt  to  breed  up  men  of 

nuitv  01  niteen  hundred  dollars  . 

for  life.     Dr.  Wilson  received  deep     Speculation     and     abstract 

his  LL.D.  degree  from  Union  knowledge;    for   a   man   amongst 

College  in  1798.     He  is  remem-  '^  1111 

bered  as  the  author  of  "Rules  them  was  no  more  valuable  than 

of    Prosody    for    the    Use    of  |      ^s  he  was  useful  in  improving  the 
Schools,"       "Introduction       to  .     ,  t      ,  1 

Greek     Prosody"     and     "Com-  State    of    the    country.      I    thought 

pendium    of    Greek    Prosody"        there  was  good  sense  in  his  ob- 

together   with   editions   of   Sal-  . 

lust,  Longinus,  the  Greek  Testa-        servations.      1  he   endowment,    he 

ment  and  Adams's  "Roman  An-         said,   allows   only   six   pounds   for 
tiquities.  ,     ,  ,  .  ,,  , 

each  boy,  but  it  generally   made 


an  expense  of  thirty  pounds  a 
head;  the  rest  is  defrayed  by  their  parents.  It  is  kept  very  clean 
and  healthy,  and  everything  in  neat  order.  It  was  then  the  vaca- 
tion time.  I  returned  to  the  place  where  the  stage  was  waiting 
its  hour." 

In  the  life  of  Erasmus  Hall  it  seems  there  were  seasons  of 
great  activity  and  seasons  of  great  depression,  ^^'ith  an  educator 
like  Dr.  Livingston  at  its  head,  even  though  that  individual  did 
not  teach,  the  institution  seems  to  have  been  very  prosperous. 
Dr.  Livingston's  unusual  administrative  power  had  placed  the 
young  acadcni}'  on  a  footing  of  e([uality  with  the  best  schools  of 
the  times.  Its  superiority,  even,  o\'cr  many  of  the  schools  was 
recognized.  I'lider  Dr.  Wilson  there  seems  to  have  been  a  falling 
a\va\    in   the   reputation  of   Lrasmus    Mall.     'Hiere  do  not  seem  to 


Ct)ronicle^  of  Cra^mu^ef  i$all  aicatiemp 


00 


have  been  as  many  students  from  abroad  as  there  had  been.  Then 
the  finances  were  not  properly  managed.  James  Tod,  the  teacher, 
and  clerk  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  was  appointed  to  collect  the 
tuition  from  the  pupils.  There  was  sickness  in  the  fam.ily,  and 
not  being-  forced  to  make  stated  reports,  he  seems  to  have  come 
finally  to  the  point  of  appropriating  some  of  the  money  to  his 
private  use.  Awakening  to  the  condition  of  affairs,  the  Trustees 
appointed  a  commitee  to  investigate  the  matter  of  Mr.  Tod's 
indebtedness  to  the  Hall.  Then  steps  were  taken  to  prosecute 
him,  but  he  left  the  Hall  and  the  matter  seems  to  have  been 
dropped. 

However,  under  the  constant  inspection  of  the  Regents,  Eras- 
mus Hall  seems  to  have  stood  the 
test.     In   1795  Regent  Linn,  who 
seems   to   have   visited   the   Hall, 
reported  as  follows : 


"The  Academy  of  Erasmus  Hall  con- 
sists of  105  students,  all  of  them  boys  or 


George  McIntosh  Troup  was 
also  a  student  at  Erasmus  Hall 
in  early  times.  He  was  born 
at  Mcintosh  Bluff,  on  Tombig- 
bee  River,  Georgia,  September 
8,  1780.  He  died  in  Lawrence 
County,  Ga.,  Alay  3,  1856.     He 


T7r,        r  ,1  1         •  was    a    graduate    of    Prmceton 

young  men.     rifty  of  these  are  learnmg  j      1  u    ^^^t^^^:^^    u^ 

■'        o  J  t=>  ^j^(^  ^  lawyer  by  proiession.   He 


the  Latin  and  Greek  languages ;  25  writ- 
ing, arithmetic  and  English  grammar ;  20 
mathematics,     bookkeeping     and     geog- 


served  in  the  State  Legislature 
and  in  Congress,  und^r  the 
Presidencies    of   Jefferson    and 


pedia  of  American  Biography. 


,         ,      r       •  1         •        xt  Madison.     In   1816,  he  became 

raphy;  10  foreigners  are  learnmg  the  United  States  Senaior  and  later 
English  language,  and  30  of  the  Governor  of  that  State.— Cyr/o 
whole  number  are  learning  the 
French  language.  Those  who  learn 
the  Latin  and  Greek  languages  apply  themselves  also  daily  to  writing 
and  arithmetic  and,  as  soon  as  they  have  obtained  a  competent  knowledge 
of  these,  they  begin  mathematics,  geography,  the  belles  lettres,  etc.  Due 
regard  is  paid  to  the  circumstances  of  students  and  their  time  of  life.  Where 
these  will  not  admit  a  thorough  education,  it  is  conducted  so  as  to  qualify 
them  as  soon  as  possible  for  their  business,  but,  where  a  regular  course  of 
study  is  intended,  the  proper  measures  are  perfected.  The  price  of  tuition  is 
20s  at  entrance  and  £6  per  annum.  The  teachers  are  a  Principal  and  three 
assistants.  The  salary  of  the  Principal  is  £400  per  annum;  of  the  first 
assistant,  iiio;  of  the  second,  £75,  'and  the  third,  who  is  a  French  teacher, 
has  no  fixed  salary,  but  depends  on  his  scholars.  This  seminary  has  no 
funds.  To  say  that  it  is  in  a  very  flourishing  state  cannot  be  deemed  unjust 
or  invidious,  because  it  possesses  so  many  advantages.  Its  early  incorporation, 
its  eligible  situation,  and  also  all  the  experience  and  industry  of  its  Principal 
and  his  assistants  exalt  its  character  and  contribute  to  its  prosperity."  * 

In  the  period  covered  by  the  administration  of   Dr.   Wilson 
there  were  several  matters  of  importance  to  those  interested  in 


*  Extract  from  Regents'  Report  to  Legislature,  February  26,   1795. 


56  Cfjroniclcsf  of  aBra.$mu^  l^all  SlcaDemp 

the  growing  institution.  In  1794  another  portion  of  the  Com- 
mon was  sold  and  the  proceeds  devoted  to  reducing  the  debt  on 
the  building.  The  Trustees  in  1795  formulated  a  petition  to  the 
Regents  of  the  University  of  New  York  to  use  their  influence 
with  the  Legislature  for  securing  the  sum  of  200  pounds  annually 
for  ten  years,  to  provide  for  the  teaching  of  moral  and  natural 
philosophy  at  the  Hall."^  As  nothing  further  is  learned  of  this 
enterprise,  it  is  to  be  supposed  that  the  Legislature  did  not 
respond  to  the  appeal. 

It  was  in  the  administration  of  Dr.  Wilson  that  ]\Ir.  Giles 
brought  a  charge  against  one,  John  Roosevelt,  a  student  of 
Erasmus  Hall,  for  robbing  his  orchard,  indecent  behavior  toward 
Mr.  Giles,  and  other  conduct  unbecoming  a  student.  It  was 
ordered,  however,  that  the  consideration  of  the  case  be  postponed 
until  the  next  meeting  of  the  Trustees,  wdien  the  evidence  did 
not  seem  to  justify  a  prosecution. t 

The  Regents  continued  to  Ansit  the  school,  and  the  reports 
are  flattering.     In  1796  we  are  told: 

"The  Academy  of  Erasmus  Hall  in  Kings  County,  has  received  an 
accession  to  its  numbers,  before  great,  and  consists  of  125  students.  A  new 
teacher  of  the  French  language  has  been  appointed  and  the  Trustees  have 
been  obliged  on  account  of  the  dearness  of  the  necessaries  of  life  to  raise 
the  price  of  tuition  to  i'j  per  annum.  About  i8o  of  the  moneys  appropriated 
are  reserved  for  the  purchase  of  a  few  articles  of  philosophical  apparatus, 
the  importation  of  which  has  been  directed.  This  academy  has  no  connec- 
tion with  the  village  school,  and  the  students  are  all  boys  or  young  men  from 
different  parts  of  the  United  States,  from  the  West  Indies  and  from  Europe. 
It  has  no  funds  and  greatly  owes  its  prosperity  to  the  established  character 
of  its  Principal  for  skill  and  unwearied  diligence. "t 

Such  reports,  however,  do  not  always  tell  the  whole  truth. 
To  the  visitors  the  school  seemed  to  be  in  a  flourishing  condition, 
yet  the  Trustees  were  bearing  a  great  financial  burden,  even 
more  than  they  cotild  stand  ;  for,  whether  from  a  falling  off  in 
attendance  or  from  other  causes,  on  the  twentieth  of  ]\Iarch,  1797, 
the  Trustees  found  themselves  in  such  straits  that  they  ap- 
pointed a  committee  to  wait  on  Messrs.  OT)lcniss  and  Schoon- 
makcr,  teachers  in  the  Hall,  and  suggest  that  they  submit  to  a 
reduction  of  salary.  lioth  refused.  ( )n  the  29th  of  June,  1797, 
Dr.  Wilson  resigned  as  teacher,  and  gave  the  Trustees  twenty- 
five  ])()unds  *'to  be  used  in  l^aying  the  debts  of  the  institution." 


*  Minvites,  May  2t,   179=;.  t  Minutes,  August    i,    1795.  J  Extract  from  tlic  Report 

of  tlie   Regents  to  the  Legislature,  I-'ebruary  24,   1796. 


Cf)rDincIc0  of  oSrasmus  l^all  Slcatiemp  57 

Some  information  about  the  condition  of  the  school  may  be 
gained  from  the  letters  which  at  this  time  passed  between  the 
Trustees  and  Dr.  A\'ilson. 

To  Peter  \\'ilsox_,  Esq.  : 

Sir  :  The  Trustees  of  Erasmus  Hall  have  received  your  resignation  with 
the  most  sincere  regrets.  They  have  attended  to  the  reasons  you  have 
assigned  for  your  departure  at  the  present  instance  and  are  fully  satisfied  as 
to  their  propriety.  We  cannot,  however,  take  leave  of  you  without  expressing 
the  grateful  sense  we  unanimously  entertain  of  the  service  you  have  rendered 
to  this  Hall  for  a  series  of  years.  Since  your  residence  among  us,  our 
warmest  expectations  have  been  realized  in  the  growing  reputation  and 
extensive  usefulness  of  the  seminary.  You  have  furni'shed  us  with  the  most 
unequivocal  proofs  of  your  strong  attachment  to  Erasmus  Hall.  Your 
labor  has  been  indefatigable,  and  that  labor,  we  are  happy  to  add,  has  been 
crowned  with  ample  success.  We  cannot  forbear  at  this  time  to  take  a 
retrospect  of  the  enduring  connection  that  has  so  long  subsisted  between  us. 
We  are  happy  to  mention  that  the  most  pleasing  harmony  has  uniformly  pre- 
vailed in  the  internal  government  of  the  seminary,  and  that  mutual  confi- 
dence and  friendship  has  united  the  members  of  this  Board  to  each  other 
and  to  you.  As  we  are  well  persuaded  that  the  future  welfare  of  the  institu- 
tion is  an  object  in  which  you  feel  yourself  interested,  and  having  no  doubt 
of  your  best  wishes  for  its  increasing  usefulness,  we  still  hope  to  act  in  con- 
cert and  to  discharge  the  important  trust  committed  to  us  in  fellow  member- 
ship with  3'ou,  and  permit  us  to  assure  you  that  we  avail  ourselves  with 
pleasure  of  your  consent  to  continue  your  superintendence  of  the  institution 
entrusted  to  our  charge.  Long  may  you  live,  Honored  Sir,  to  reap  the  fruit 
of  your  useful  labors,  and  in  a  good  old  age  may  you  enjoy  the  pleasant 
reflections  that  flow  from  a  well  spent  life,  or  a  life  devoted  to  the  public  good. 

By  order  of  the  Board, 

JoHAXXES  E.  LoTT^  President. 
Erasmus  Hall,  June  29,  1797. 

Letter  from   Peter  Wilsox  to  the  Trustees. 

The  Presidext  axd  Board  of  Trustees  of  Eras:mus  Hall: 

]\Ir.  Presidext  :  Happy  in  the  recollection  of  the  connection  which  for  a 
number  of  years  has  subsisted  between  the  Trustees  of  Erasmus  Hall  and 
myself,  permit  me  through  you.  Sir,  to  express  to  them  my  gratitude  for 
the  steady  support  I  received  and  the  friendly  attentions  I  experienced  while 
employed  as  a  teacher  under  their  patronage.  The  very  obliging  manner  in 
which  they  have  been  pleased  to  express  their  approbation  of  my  past  services 
has  made  an  indelible  impression  on  my  heart,  though  the  ideas  it  has  excited 
cannot  easily  be  communicated  by  the  common  vehicle  of  human  thought. 

Their  good  wishes  for  me,  be  sure,  are  heartily  reciprocated.  I  feel  a 
growing  interest  in  the  prosperity  of  Erasmus  Hall  and  an  unabated  zeal  for 
its  reputation,  and  consider  the  continuance  of  my  connection  with  the  Trus- 
tees and  with  the  institution  under  their  care  as  one  of  the  greatest  honors 


58  Cfjronicte.sf  of  €ra.sfmu.$  l^all  SlcaDenip 

of  my  life.  I  earnestly  pray  that  the  Supreme  Disposer  of  all  events  may  long 
preserve  you  and  them,  the  faithful  guardians  of  a  seminary  which  has  the 
fairest  prospect  of  usefulness,  when  we  shall  be  mingled  with  our  kindred 
dust. 

P.  Wilson. 
Columbia  College,  July  21,  1797. 

Dr.  Wilson,  according  to  the  wishes  of  the  Trustees,  held  the 
nominal  ofTfice  of  principal  until  1805.  The  managers  of  the  school 
referred  all  matters  of  government  and  policy,  so  far  as  the  teach- 
ing at  the  Hall  was  concerned,  to  him.  A  single  illustration  will 
show  the  wisdom  of  the  Trustees  in  this  matter,  as  well  as  their 
progressiveness.  In  1798  Joshua  Genet  was  their  choice  as  a 
teacher  of  French,  but  before  appointing  him  they  referred  him 
to  Dr.  Wilson  for  proof  of  his  qualifications  for  that  work.  In  a 
few  days  (Jan.  12,  1799)  Mr.  Genet  returned  with  a  certificate 
from  Air.  Marcellin,  French  teacher  in  Columbia  College,  stating 
his  "ability  as  Teacher  of  the  French  Language."  He  was  then 
appointed  to  teach,  though  he  remained  only  one  quarter.*  This 
is  an  early  illustration  of  the  custom  of  requiring  a  candidate  for 
a  position  to  teach  to  pass  an  examination  given  by  an  expert. 

While  in  many  ways  the  Academy  seemed  to  be  prosperous 
at  this  time,  the  struggle  to  pay  expenses  was  a  very  serious  one 
until  the  year  1830.  There  was  a  mortgage  upon  the  property, 
and  in  1797,  at  the  death  of  Senator  John  Vanderbilt,  the  Trustees 
were  put  to  some  inconvenience  to  raise  the  money  due  his  estate. 
The  same  year,  as  another  illustration  of  the  condition  of  finances  at 
the  Hall,  the  Board  created  a  committee  ''to  petition  the  Honor- 
able Legislature  of  the  State  for  license  to  raise  the  sum  of  1,200 
pounds  by  lottery  to  appropriate  for  the  use  of  Erasmus  Hall."t 

About  this  time  the  reports  from  year  to  year  of  the  Regents' 
committee  on  visitation  become  somewhat  monotonous.  Occa- 
sionally, however,  a  new  inference  may  be  drawn  from  a  mass  of 
data.  In  1798  we  are  told  that  there  are  three  teachers  at  the 
Academy,  and  that  Dr.  Wilson,  the  nominal  Principal,  does  not 
reside  in  the  Hall,  "being  a  ])rofessor  in  Columbia  College."  The 
school  had  1)ccn  ]:)r()fesscdl}'  a  l)oys'  school.  It  is  from  the  report 
of  the  Regent  visitors  for  1801  that  we  learn  that  a  great  change 
has  taken  place.  The  doors  of  the  Academy  have  been  opened  to 
the  girls.  This  report  reads  as  follows:  "The  committee  ap- 
pointed to  visit  Erasnuis  1 1  all  report  the  number  of  pupils  of  both 


Minutes.  +  Minutes,    November    2R    and    Dt-ceniber    20.    1707. 


€1)tomdt^  of  Crasfmu^  l^all  3lcaDemp  59 

sexes  to  be  76.  Twenty-six  of  the  males  are  tang-ht  tlie  languages 
and  mathematics  and  the  remainder  English  grammar,  and  the 
females,  being  22  in  number,  are  instructed  in  grammar,  reading, 
writing  and  arithmetic.''"^  This  point  is  corroborated  by  the 
report  of  the  following  year.  It  gives  the  whole  number  of 
pupils  as  88,  "of  which  54  are  lads  and  young  gentlemen,  and  34 
are  girls  ;  of  the  former,  34  are  engaged  in  the  study  of  the  lan- 
guages, the  practical  braiiches  of  the  mathematics,  geography 
and  English  grammar.  The  rest  are  employed  in  studies  of  an 
inferior  and  preparatory  nature.  The  young  misses  are  occupied 
in  reading,  writing,  arithmetic,  geography  and  such  other  studies 
as  promise  to  render  them  useful  and  ornamental  members  of 
society. "t 

From  the  founding  of  the  Hall  there  seems  to  have  been  much 
discussion  among  the  teachers,  and  some  jealousy  over  the  matter 
of  rank  or  precedence.  \Mien  Mr.  O'Bleniss  came  as  teacher,  the 
question  of  authority  must  have  arisen  over  and  over  again.  It 
became  necessary  finally  for  the  Trustees  to  settle  the  matter. 
The  Trustees  did  so  (Dec.  8,  1798J  by  naming  Mr.  O'Bleniss 
"chief  teacher  in  the  classical  department."  His  authority,  when 
we  remember  that  the  classical  teacher  had  supervision  over  the 
English  work,  was  thus  made  almost  as  absolute  as  that  of  a 
principal.  In  the  first  two  decades  of  Erasmus  Hall  history,  sal- 
aries were  by  no  means  stable.  In  1799  we  find  Mr.  O'Bleniss, 
who  had  refused  a  reduction  of  salary  in  1797,  making  special 
arrangements  with  the  Trustees  whereby  he  was  paid  proportion- 
ately to  the  money  collected  from  the  students.  The  proviso  is 
also  made  that  he  is  to  cart  his  own  firewood,  w'hich  in  early 
times  seems  to  have  been  very  scarce.  It  is  an  item  mentioned  in 
almost  every  contract  made  with  the  chief  teacher  or  principal. 
The  wood  had  to  be  brought  from  the  mainland  by  ferry-boat, 
and  then  carted  from  the  landing  to  Flatbush.  It  was  not  only 
the  outlay  of  money  in  its  purchase,  therefore,  but  the  time, 
trouble  and  cost  of  carting  that  made  it  an  important  iteni  in  the 
payment  of  the  teacher.  It  seems  under  this  arrangement  that 
Mr.  O'Bleniss  virtually  rented  the  building,  for  in  1804  he  was 
again  placed  on  salary,  the  Trustees  taking  to  themselves  the 
management  of  the  Hall.t  as  his  profits  for  that  vear  had  exceeded 
S867. 


*  Annual  Report,   February  23.    1801.  t  Annual  Report,   ^Nlarch  26,   1802. 

J  Minutes,  November   17,    1804. 


6o  <jri)rDnicIc0  of  oEra^mu^  l^all  StcaDeitip 

up  to  this  time  Erasmus  Hall  had  been  a  private  academy  and 
a  Regents'  school.  In  1803,  however,  the  Academy  had  so  gained 
the  confidence  of  the  people  of  Flatbush  that  they  determined  to 
make  it  serve  as  a  public  school  also.  The  old  Dutch  school- 
house  was  torn  dow^n,  and  the  timbers  sold  to  Bateman  Lloyd, 
who  used  them  for  the  erection  of  a  grocery  store  near  the  corner 
of  Flatbush  and  Church  Avenues.  Thereafter  the  ''village  school" 
occupied  a  room  or  rooms  in  the  Hall.  In  1804  there  were  at  the 
Academy  thirty-three  pupils  who  paid  at  the  rate  of  $20  a  year, 
twenty  at  $14  a  year,  and  forty-seven  at  $8.* 

Among  the  teachers  under  Dr.  Wilson  there  were  those  who 
had  higher  ambitions.  Of  these  was  Michael  Schoonmaker,  whose 
name  has  been  mentioned  before,  wdio  gave  thirty  days'  notice 
of  his  intention  of  retiring  as  a  teacher.  In  a  letter  to  him  the 
Board  of  Trustees  illustrate  this  point  and  also  throw  a  little 
light  on  the  condition  of  the  institution.  They  say,  ''We  unite 
our  best  wishes  to  yours  for  the  growing  reputation  and  pros- 
perity of  a  seminary  whose  bosom  once  cherished  you  and  by 
whose  fostering  care  you  have  been  conducted  into  the  paths  of 
useful  and  ornamental  science. "t  There  is  no  information,  how- 
ever, as  to  the  future  plans  of  ]\Ir.  Schoonmaker,  that  would  give 
us  any  idea  of  the  position  which  he  left  to  occupy. 

On  the  9th  of  February,  1805,  Dr.  AVilson  fully  severed  his 
connection  with  Erasmus  Hall.  He  was  becoming  advanced  in 
years,  and  no  doubt  the  duties  of  his  professorship  in  Columbia 
College  were  heavy.  In  a  letter  dated  Columbia  College,  Dec.  14, 
1804,  he  says:  "The  Academy  has  now  acquired  a  form  and  con- 
stituency which  I  hope  will  not  be  easily  shaken."  Another 
reason  for  his  action,  he  states,  was  that  the  examination  season 
of  Erasmus  Hall  conflicted  wath  his  duties  as  professor  at  Colum- 
bia. From  the  reply  of  the  1>ustees  it  may  be  inferred  that  they 
still  valued  the  services  of  the  Principal,  though  they  recognized 
that  he  was  becoming  aged.  His  resignation  A\as  accepted  on 
the  9th  of  February,   1805. t 

The  examination  seasons  referred  to  by  Dr.  \\  ilson  were 
stated  periods  just  before  the  spring  and  fall  vacaticMis,  when  the 
Principal,  the  members  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  and  i)arcnts  were 
in\ite(l  to  the  school  to  hear  the  pu])ils  examined,  and  perhaps 
themselves  to  ask  ciuestions.  The  examination  ]:)eriod,  it  will  be 
remembered,  closed  with  ])ublic  declamation  and  a  half  holiday. 


Minutes,    November   8.  t  Minutes,    Mareli    16,    1805.  t  Minutes. 


C^roniclc.!^  of  aEra.30fmu^  l^all  acaDemp 


61 


It  would  seem  strange  to  the  youth  of  to-day  for  these  staid  old 
smooth-faced  (for  no  one  in  Flatbush  wore  a  beard  before  1825) 
fathers  to  come  marching  into  the  room  to  ask  the  pupils  questions. 

^bmintfitration  of  3^et).  ^eter  Hotoe, 
1805=1818 

Upon  the  resignation  of  Dr.  Wilson,  the  Trustees  went  in 
search  of  a  successor.  Among  the  Trustees  was  the  Rev.  Peter 
Lowe,  one  of  the  colleagues  of  the  Dutch  Reformed  Church,  who 
resided  in  Flatbush.  After  due  consideration  he  was  chosen  to 
fill  Dr.  AVilson's  place.  In  his  case  the  Trustees  agreed  that  his 
connection  with  the  institution  should  be  largely  supervisory. 

The  administration  of  the  Rev. 
Peter  Lowe  does  not  seem  to  have 
been  a  very  prosperous  one  for  the 
Hall.  The  number  of  teachers  w^as 
necessarily  limited.  In  1806  there  are 
the  names  of  only  two  teachers  men- 
tioned in  the  Minutes  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees.'^  These  were  Joab  G. 
Cooper  and  Evan  Beynon.  This  Mr. 
Cooper  was  the  editor  of  that  old 
classic  known  as  "Cooper's  Virgil." 
At  this  time  the  success  of  the  insti- 
tution may  be  indicated  from  the  fact 
that  the  school-yard  was  a  pasture 
ground.  One  teacher,  R.  A\^.  Thomp- 
son, at  one  time  collected  from  the  Board  $12  damages  to  his 
pasture  rights,  sustained  because  the  fence  had  not  been  repaired. t 
This  I\Ir.  Thompson  came  to  the  school  in  1809,  ^^^^^  ^^^  ^^'^^  advent 
the  Trustees  "Resolved,  That  the  Board  will  not  exact  any 
entrance  money  from  such  students  as  have  studied  under  ]\Ir. 
Thompson  in  other  academies,  and  who  are  brought  to  this  Hall 
through  his  influence. "t 

The  Board,  desirous  of  placing  the  Academy  on  a  good  finan- 
cial basis,  applied  to  the  Regents  for  help,  and  in  1808  received 
from  that  body  $100  to  be  used  toward  reducing  the  debt  of  the 
institution. 

In  this  administration  the  strife  over  the  matter  of  precedence 
on  the  part  of  teachers  was  continued  with  extreme  bitterness.    As 


Rev.  Peter  Lowe 


December   20.  t  ^Minutes,   August    13,    1810.       t  Minutes,    September   30,    1809. 


62  Cf)ronicIc.sf  of  €ra^mu.s?  l^all  acaDemp 

early  as  1808  there  were  complaints  made  to  the  Trustees  that 
the  head  of  the  English  work  was  persuading  students  "out  of  the 
Classical  Department  of  the  Hall  to  enter  into  the  English  Depart- 
ment."* Finally  the  Principal  himself  endeavored  to  exercise 
what  he  believed  to  be  his  prerogative.  Thereupon  the  Board 
took  action  as  follows :  "Resolved,  That  the  removal  of  Beaumann 
Lowe  by  the  Rev'd  Peter  Lowe,  as  Principal  of  Erasmus  Hall, 
from  the  Classical  Department  of  the  Hall  to  the  English  Depart- 
ment does  not  appear  to  be  warranted  by  the  Constitution  and 
Laws  of  the  Hall,  but  that  he  had  a  right  by  the  fifth  section  of 
the  second  chapter  of  the  Constitution  to  prohibit  the  first  teacher 
to  inspect  the  progress  of  the  said  Beaumann  Lowe,  he  being  under 
the  care  of  the  second  teacher."t 

On  November  i,  1814,  the  Regents  of  the  University  of  the 
State  of  New  York  demanded  an  annual  report  according  to  a 
set  form.t  Erasmus  Hall  was  prompt  in  taking  the  matter  up. 
This  form  was  followed  faithfully  every  year  for  many  years,  and 
the  reports  w^ere  copied  in  the  jMinutes  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 
They  thus  become  a  source  of  accurate  and  suggestive  historic 
information. 

In  June,  1813,  the  State  Legislature  passed  "An  Act  for  the 
establishing  of  Common  Schools."  This  seems  to  have  been  the 
origin  of  the  common  school  system  in  the  State  of  New  York. 
As  a  sequel  to  this  Act,  as  the  village  school  had  already  been 
incorporated  with  the  Academy,  on  April  i,  1814,  the  Legislature 
passed  "An  Act  relative  to  Erasmus  Hall."  It  reads  as  follows : 
"The  school  money  granted  from  time  to  time  to  that  part  of  the 
town  of  Flatbush,  in  the  County  of  Kings,  commonly  called  the  'Old 
Town,'  under  the  Act  entitled  'An  Act  for  the  establishing  of 
Common  Schools,'  passed  June  19,  1813,  shall  yearly  and  every 
year  be  paid  by  the  several  officers  appointed  in  and  by  the  said 
Act,  to  the  Trustees  of  Erasmus  Hall.  ...  to  be  applied 
to  the  education  of  such  poor  children  belonging  to  said  Old 
Town,  and  sent  to  said  Academy,  and  who  in  the  opinion  of  said 
Trustees  shall  be  entitled  to  gratuitous  education." i;  There  were 
times  in  the  following  years  when  this  common  school  fund  added 
to  the  income  of  Erasmus  Hall  nearly  $80  a  year.  ^ 

In  another  direction  the  Trustees  were  searching  for  those  ele- 
ments which  tend  to  make  an  institution  live  and  active  and  up 


•Minutes,   October   i.      t  Minutes,    September    15,    1813.      JMinutes,   November  8,    1814. 
§  Laws  of  1814,  Chaj).   79.     II  In   i8-'9,  $78.40. 


Cl)ronicIe^  of  aEta-e^mU"^  i^all  academp 


63 


to  the  times.  In  1815  it  was  resolved  by  the  Board  "That  the 
Trustees  of  Erasmus  Hall  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  the  lit- 
erary respectability  of  the  Academy  under  their  charge  feel 
desirous  to  place  their  institution  under  the  immediate  patronage 
of  the  Trustees  of  Columbia  College,  and  that  a  committee  of 
four  members  of  this  Board  be  appointed  to  confer  with  the  Trus- 
tees of  said  College  as  a  Committee  of  that  Body  for  such  pur- 
pose."* It  seems  at  this  time  that  schools  were  placing  themselves 
under  the  patronage  of  colleges,  but  this  matter  seems  to  have 
been  allowed  to  drop  or  else  it  met  with  no  success,  as  it  is  not 

again  mentioned  by  the  Trustees. 
The  administration  of  the  Rev. 
Peter  Lowe  came  to  an  end  at  his 
death  in  1818.    There  was  a 


Rev.  Peter  Lowe  was  born 
April  30,  1764,  at  Esopus,  New 
York,  where  he  received  his 
education.  He  pursued  his 
theological  studies  with  Dr. 
Livingston  and,  soon  after  his 
licensure,  received  a  call  from 
the  six  churches  of  Kings 
County.  In  this  relation  he 
faithfully  discharged  the  func- 
tions of  the  holy  ministry  for 
twenty-one  years ;  until,  the 
collegiate  connection  between 
the  six  churches  being  dis- 
solved, he  accepted  a  call  from 
Flatbush  and  Flatlands,  where 
he  continued  to  labor,  until  his 
death,  in  June  1818.  Baxter 
has  in  his  Journal  the  follow- 
ing characteristic  note :  "J^^^ic 
II,  1818,  died,  Rev.  Peter 
Lowe,  cancer  in  his  lip." 
"June  12,  1818,  funeral — 4  el- 
ders of  each  church  as  bearers 
and  12  ministers  as  pall-bearers 
with  white  scarfs.  Rev.  Peter 
Van  Pelt  delivered  the  ser- 
mon." 


^ransiitional  ^criob, 
1818=1823 

of  four  or  five  years  succeeding 
this  administration.  On  August 
28,  1819,  Mr.  Joseph  Penney 
agreed  to  teach  Flatbush  pupils 
reading,  penmanship,  arithmetic, 
English  grammar,  geography,  his- 
tory and  book-keeping,  for  $5  a 
year  each.  If  the  pupils  desired 
theoretical  and  practical  mathe- 
matics, natural  philosophy,  rhet- 
oric, logic,  and  Latin  and  Greek, 
they  were  charged  at  the  rate  of 
$7  a  year.  Mr.  Penney  seems  to 
have  been  the  first  teacher,  or 
Principal,  for  two  years,  when  he 
was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Timothy  Clowes,  who  also  served  for 
two  years. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  the  village  school  had  been  trans- 
ferred to  a  room  in  the  Academy.  When  the  State  enacted  the 
law  establishing  a  common  school  fund,  the  Hall  received  annu- 
ally money  from  the  State.  In  1822  certain  families  from  the 
village  were  allowed  ten  shillings  a  quarter  for  every  child 
registered. t 


Minutes,  February  20. 


t  Minutes,  August  24. 


64 


€ftraniclc0  of  oSra.^mujB?  l^all  Slcaticmp 


The  Academy  was  the  scene 
of  marriages,  deaths,  and 
births.  Mr.  Albert  O'Bleniss, 
the  teacher,  Baxter  says, 
married  ]\Iiss  Lottie  Cortelyou 
on  January  3,  1796.  On  the 
23d  of  October,  1806,  accord- 
ing to  the  same  authority,  he 
died  at  the  Hall.  But  the 
most  interesting  of  remin- 
iscences are  those  related  to 
Adrian  Hegeman,  and  his 
son,  Joseph.  Adrian  Hege- 
man, who  was  a  teacher  at 
Erasmus  Hall,  ]\Iay  23,  1814, 
to  j\Iay  I,  1823,  became  a 
man  of  considerable  distinc- 
tion in  Brooklyn  history. 
\\diile  he  was  a  teacher  and 
lived  at  Erasmus  Hall,  on 
December  29,  181 5,  his  son 
Joseph  was  born.  This  Jo- 
seph Hegeman,  after  a  long 
and  successful  business  career  in  Brooklyn,  died  in  Detroit,  Mich- 
igan, in  his  eighty-fourth  year.  His  life  spans  a  period  when 
change  succeeded  change  in  astonishing  rapidity.  The  transfor- 
mation of  Elatbush  was,  perhaps,  as  wonderful  as  that  of  the  city 
of  Brooklyn.  ''During  his  long  life  Mr.  Hegeman  saw  Brooklyn 
develop  from  a  village  to  its  present  proportions  as  a  most  impor- 
tant factor  of  Greater  New  York.  Illustrative  of  this  growth,  be 
it  said,  he  was,  at  the  age  of  thirteen,  Assistant  Postmaster,  under 
his  father,  then  Postmaster  of  Brooklyn,  and  managed  the  affairs 
of  the  office  to  such  an  extent  that  when  he  went  home  at  noon 
to  dinner  he  locked  the  office,  put  the  key  in  his  pocket,  and  the 
United  States  mail  had  to  wait  his  pleasure."*  ''Mr.  Hegeman. 
on  July  4,  1825,  then  nine  years  old,  was  the  l)oy  orator  of  the 
day,  and  stood  beside  Lafayette,  who  laid  the  corner-stone"  of 
the  Prenticos  Library  at  the  corner  of  Cranberry  and  Henry 
Streets.  ''After  the  ceremony  the  Marquis  lifted  Mr.  Hegeman 
u])  and  held  him  in  his  arms." 


Adrian  Hegeman 


Brooklyn  Eagle,   March   4,    1899. 


Cf)rDnicle>a?  of  €ra,s?mu3^  ]^all  acaDemp  65 

^bminisitration  of  3Fonatf)an  W,  i^ellogg, 
1823=1833 

At  this  point  in  the  history  of  Erasmus  Hall  Academy,  when 
conditions  were  not  satisfactory,  when  the  school  was  losing 
somewdiat  in  its  popularity,  the  Trustees  very  wisely  chose  to  the 
principalship  ]\Ir.  Jonathan  W.  Kellogg,  A.B.,  A.]\I.,  a  man  "emi- 
nently qualified  for  the  official  instruction  of  youth,  in  all  the 
branches  of  useful,  classical  and  ornamental  education.  Grad- 
uated at  Yale  College,  and  habituated  to  the  practice  of  teaching 
for  more  than  twenty  years  (chiefly  in  the  City  of  Xew  York), 
his  various  acquirements  and  peculiarly  happy  methods  of  train- 
ing youthful  minds"  gave  him  "a  large  share  of  public  patronage 
and  confidence.""^  He  began  his  work  at  the  Hall  in  1823.  The 
late  Mrs.  Gertrude  Lefferts  Vanderbilt,  in  a  private  interview  in 
1902,  described  Mr.  Kellogg  as  a  popular  teacher  and  a  pleasant, 
genial  man  Avho  made  good  progress  with  his  pupils.  "This  was 
before  the  days  of  steel  pens,"  she  said,  "and  the  teacher  was 
expected  to  make  and  repair  quill  pens  for  use  in  the  school.  Mr. 
Kellogg  was  an  adept  at  making  pens,  and  on  any  day  he  might 
be  seen  pacing  the  halls  of  the  school-building  with  two  or  three 
pens  back  of  each  ear.  As  his  hair  was  short  and  gray,  the  quills 
bore  no  small  resemblance  to  diminutive  wings,  and  created  con- 
siderable mirth  among  the  scholars." 

At  first  Erasmus  Hall  Avas  a  boys'  school.  In  the  early  years 
of  the  nineteenth  century  the  Regents'  Committee  on  A^isitation 
found  girls  reciting  with  the  boys  as  regular  pupils  at  the 
Academy.  In  1823  the  Board  recognized  the  importance  of  the 
female  element  in  the  school  by  the  creation  of  a  Female  Depart- 
ment, and  a  ^liss  ]\Iaria  Jones,  possibly  the  first  woman  teacher 
in  the  Academy,  was  employed  to  preside  over  this  department. 
So  important  was  this  phase  of  school  work  that  in  a  circular, 
dated  January,  1826,  Mr.  Kellogg  informs  the  public  that  "Sub- 
ject to  the  direction  of  the  Principal,  and  under  the  immediate 
care  of  a  well  qualified  Governess"  there  is  at  the  Hall  a  "School 
for  the  instruction  of  young  ladies  in  all  the  various  branches  of 
an  accomplished  education.  The  family  arrangements  of  the  Hall 
are  such  as  to  secure  the  greatest  comfort,  cleanliness,  health, 
regularity,  and  general  improvement  of  the  boarders." 


*  From   a   Circular   of   Information,   dated  January,    1826,   filed   in   the   Minutes   of   the 
Board  of  Trvistees. 


66  ((ri^roniclc.0  of  €ra,£?mu.i^  l^all  SlcaDemp 

Now  that  there  was  a  Female  Department,  ]\Ir.  Kellogg  was 
able  to  make  the  Hall  the  center  of  social  life  in  Flatbush.  His 
"ornamental  studies"  attracted  young  ladies  from  a  distance, 
among  them  being  a  sister  of  Lieutenant  Hiram  Paulding,  who 
was  then  stationed  at  the  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard.  The  young 
officer  visited  his  sister  often,  and  indeed  became  so  interested 
in  the  Academy  that  he  pursued  the  study  of  mathematics  under 
one  of  the  teachers.  The  true  lode-star,  however,  may  have  been 
one  of  the  Principal's  young  lady  daughters,  for  his  visits  cul- 
minated in  a  wedding,  the  ceremony  being  celebrated  in  what  is 
now  the  office  of  the  Principal,  Dr.  Gunnison.^  The  young  lieu- 
tenant afterward  became  the  celebrated  Admiral  Paulding,  of  the 
United  States  Navy;  his  sister  died  of  cholera  in  the  year  of  the 
great  plague  and  is  buried  in  the  cemetery  of  the  Reformed  Dutch 
Church  of  Flatbush. 

As  an  aftermath,  one  day  in  October,  1902,  three  daughters 
from  this  marriage  called  at  the  old  Hall,  for  the  first  time  to 
view  the  scenes  of  their  mother's  youth.  They  were  Mrs. 
Rebecca  Paulding  Meade,  widow  of  the  late  Rear-Admiral  Rich- 
ard W.  Meade,  of  the  United  States  Navy ;  ]\Irs.  General  ]\Ieade, 
wdiose  husband  was  at  that  time  commandant  of  the  ]\Iarine  Bar- 
racks at  the  Brooklyn  Navy  Yard,  and  Miss  Emma  Paulding,  of 
Huntington,  Long  Island.  It  was  with  extreme  delight  that  they 
passed  along  the  halls  from  one  point  of  interest  to  another. 
They  entered  the  very  room  where  their  mother  had  reigned  at 
the  social  gatherings  of  the  village.  They  sat  by  the  fireplace 
W'here,  no  doubt,  the  lovers  had  often  sat.  But  eighty  years  had 
passed,  and  what  changes  had  taken  place  !  The  building  had 
grown  into  a  labyrinth  of  many  rooms.  Even  the  old  fireplace 
had  assumed  the  airs  of  a  new  era  ;  for  instead  of  a  bed  of  glow- 
ing embers  to  cheer  and  comfort,  a  brace  of  gas  logs  with  a 
gaudier  flame  gave  welcome.  Yet  enough  of  the  old  remained  to 
afford  the  visitors  great  satisfaction  and  unusual  pleasure. 

The  connection  between  the  Academy  and  the  Reformed 
Dutch  Church  of  Flatbush  continued  to  be  very  close.  In 
1823  a  small  i)ortion  of  the  school  lot,  an  irregular  piece  with 
twenty-five  feet  frontage  and  a  width  at  the  rear  of  fifteen  feet, 
was  leased  to  the  Consistory  at  the  rate  of  one  dollar  per  annum 
for  a  period  of  twenty-one  years.     On  this  lot  the  Church  built 


*  Mr.   Peter   Neefiis  and    Mrs.    Rebecca   I'tuildinij;   Mcadc   are   authorities   for  the   above 
statements. 


Jonathan  W.  Kellogg 


67 


Cl)rDnide^  of  €ra>5niu^  l^all  acaDcmp  69 


ERASMUS    UALL 


-  /   tUfOmx  V  *»  IVmO"  «(■  Rntmtt 


* 


K. 


Um**^» 


.   .^;^.-ww7f-     *,./  .-^-f 


.  dbti.  P  M 
/mUtw'  •fkn  -mint  Tnfl^ 


a  parsonage.*  It  is  probable  that  this 
lot  lay  along  the  northern  side  of  the 
present  school  lot.  A  further  indica- 
tion of  the  interdependence  of  the  two 
institutions  was  a  resolution  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees,  in  1830,  directing 
the  clerk  to  post  call-notices,  eight 
days  before  its  meetings,  on  the  outer 
door  of  the  Church  as  well  as  on  that 
of  the  x\cademy. 

The  period  covered  by  the  admin- 
Call-Notice  istration  of  Mr.   Kellogg  was  one  of 

the  most  prosperous  eras  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  town  of  Flatbush  or  in  that  of  the  Academy.  He  seems  to 
have  added  a  new  energy  and  to  have  inspired  new  confidence  in 
the  institution.  The  old  building  was  not  large  enough  to  accom- 
modate the  numbers  who  came  to  the  Hall.  The  first  improve- 
ment, so  far  as  the  building  was  concerned,  was  the  erection  on 
the  east  side  of  the  Hall  of  a  porch,  wdiich  cost  $125.  This  was 
in  1823.  The  next  improvement,  three  years  later,  consisted  of 
what  is  usually  called  the  *'wing,"  added  to  the  north  end  of  the 
old  building.  This  wing  was  fifty  by  twenty-six  feet  in  size.  It 
contained  four  rooms,  and  cost  $i.500.t  It  was  that  part  of  the 
present  building  known  as  rooms  number  one  and  two,  the 
library,  and  the  drawing  room  adjoining  it.  The  plan  on  which 
the  wing  was  erected  was  as  follows :  The  total  cost  was  not 
to  exceed  $1,400,  though  an  extra  $100  w^as  to  be  allowed  for 
carting  the  material.  In  addition  to  his  former  rent,  the  Prin- 
cipal, Air.  Kellogg,  was  to  pay  seven  per  cent,  on  the  cost  of 
the  addition.  A  sinking  fund  of  $314,  derived  from  the  Regents' 
Fund  and  from  the  rent  of  the  Hall,  was  formed ;  this  in  four 
years  paid  for  the  building,  leaving  the  institution  again  free 
from  debt.t 

In  the  Kellogg  days  the  Trustees  were  as  careful  as  ever  in 
their  supervision  of  the  educational  work.  They  demanded  that 
the  Prncipal  provide  a  teacher  in  the  lower  departments  with 
whose  qualifications  they  were  satisfied  ;  and  further,  that  when 
he  had  made  his  selection,  he  present  such  teacher  for  examina- 
tion by  the  Board.  §    In  1827  a  music  teacher  was  employed,  and 


*  Minutes,  January  30,  1823.         t  Minutes,  September  9  and  26,   1826;    May  18,   1827, 
t  Minutes,    September  9,   2^6  and  30,    1826.      §  ^linutes,   December  21,    1826. 


70 


Cl^rDniclc0  of  aEraamu?  l^all  acaDemp 


soon  after  instruction  was  furnished  in  both  voice  and  piano.*  In 
1829  an  instructor  of  needlework  and  drawing  was  added  to  the 
corps  of  teachers.  As  for  text-books,  in  1833  the  authorities 
determined  that  the  following  books  should  be  used  in  the 
English  department  of  the  Hall :  Colburn's  Arithmetic,  Web- 
ster's Spelling  Book,  A\^oodbridge's  Geography,  Kerklan's  Eng- 
lish Grammar,  Colburn's  Algebra,  Legendre's  Geometry,  Hutton's 
or  Day's  Mathematics,  Tytler's,  WHielpley's,  Frost's  or  Herren's 
History. 

One  of  the  teachers  under  Mr.  Kellogg  was  William  Henry 
Campbell,  who  was  born  and  reared  in  the  city  of  Baltimore, 
where  his  father,  a  Scotch  emigrant,  was  a  prosperous  merchant. 


Erasmus   Hall  in    1824 


One  day  the  father  said,  "To-morrow,  my  son,  I  will  talce  you  to 
Dickinson  College ;  I  want  you  to  be  ready  by  nine  o'clock." 
William,  taken  completely  by  surprise,  replied  that  he  did  not 
want  to  go.  ''My  son,  I  did  not  ask  you  what  you  wanted  ;  I 
said,  T  want  you  to  be  ready,'  "  asserted  the  father.  He  was 
ready  and  was  taken  to  college  the  next  day.  This  was  in  1824, 
when  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age.  At  the  end  of  four  years  he 
graduated  from  Dickinson  and  entered  the  Theological  Seminary 
at  Princeton.  In  1829,  however,  reverses  came,  and  his  father 
failing  in  business,  he  was  obliged  to  leave  his  studies  and  become 
a  bread-earner.  After  walking  from  Princeton  to  New  Bruns- 
wick, fifteen  miles,  he  had  just  enough  to  pay  his  passage  to  New 


*  The   late    Mrs.    Vanderbilt    is    autliority    for    tlic    siatc-inciit    tliat    tla-    first    jiiano    was 
])r()iif?lit  to  l'"latl)iish   in   1812. 


€l)conicle^  of  €ra.sfmu!9f  i^all  aicaticmp  n 

York  City.  Landing-  from  a  ferry-boat,  he  passed  up  Broadway 
to  the  store  of  Mr.  John  Lefferts,  of  Flatbush.  After  hesitating  a 
moment,  the  young  man  walked  boldly  in  and  accosted  Mr.  Lef- 
ferts as  follows:  "I  am  William  Campbell,  the  brother-.in-law  of 
the  Rev.  Thomas  M.  Strong,  of  Flatbush.  I  wish  to  go  to  that 
village,  where  I  hope  to  secure  employment  as  a  teacher,  but  I 
am  out  of  money.  If  you  will  lend  me  a  few  pennies,  enough  to 
pay  my  ferriage  across  to  Brooklyn,  I  will  repay  you  to-morrow." 
Mr.  Lefiferts  looked  at  the  thin,  gaunt  young  man,  "with  a  great 
shock  of  red  hair,"  and  concluded  from  a  study  of  his  face  that  it 
would  be  a  safe  investment  to  lend  him  the  money.  With  the 
pennies  the  young  man  crossed  the  ferry,  and  walked  to  Flatbush, 
a  distance  of  five  miles.  The  next  morning  he  applied  to  Mr. 
Jonathan  W.  Kellogg,  Principal  of  Erasmus  Hall  Academy,  for 
work  as  a  teacher.  He  found  Mr.  Kellogg  in  his  shirt-sleeves,  on 
the     back     porch,    shaving.      The      


Principal  had,  by  resignation  from  a/t      t         t     ,,      ^      i       ^ 

i  '     -^  ^  Mr.  John  Lefferts^  who  so 

his   force   of  instructors,   lost   Mr.  l  ki^^ly  aided  Mr.  Campbell,  was 

Jonathan     B.    Kidder,   teacher    of  a  trustee  of  Erasmus  Hall  from 

the  classical  branches  and  lecturer  Januar}^  20,  1807,  to  September 

on  chemistry  and  mineralogy,  but  ^8,  1829.    He  was  President  of 

•  ,,,i-  ,•  .1-1-  I   the  Board  from  April  29,  1829, 

it  took  hnii  some  time  to  decide  in  ,        ,  .     ,     ,     •      iff,- 

,       ,       .      ,  to  his   death,   in  the   lollowing 
favor    of    this    young    theological         September. 

student  fresh  from  college.    After     | 

some  severe  questioning,  how- 
ever, he  decided  to  give  the  youth  a  trial,  so  he  put  him  at  once 
into  the  class-room.  His  salary  was  to  be  $200,  and  he  was  to 
teach  the  Latin  and  the  Greek.  At  the  close  of  the  first  day's 
work,  Mr.  Campbell  drew  a  little  money  from  his  prospective 
wages,  walked  to  the  ferry,  crossed  to  New  York,  paid  Mr.  Lef- 
ferts the  few  pennies  he  had  borrowed,  and  returned  to  Flatbush, 
having  walked  the  ten  miles  to  meet  his  honest  obligations. 

In  these  years  of  groping  toward  the  best  in  .educational  lines, 
the  fostering  care  exercised  by  the  Regents  had  a  marked  influ- 
ence in  shaping  the  career  of  Erasmus  Hall.  Sometimes  the  vis- 
iting committee  from  Albany  appeared  at  the  Academy  unan- 
nounced, and  then  there  was  consternation ;  yet  the  work  was 
inspected  under  the  most  favorable  conditions  for  the  visitors. 
At  other  times  the  committee  notified  the  Trustees  in  advance* 
of  a  proposed  visit ;  then  the  school  was  seen  under  conditions  of 


Minutes,   December  26,   1824. 


72 


Cl)ronicIe0  of  aEra.0mu^  i^all  3lcaDemp 


best  advantage  to  the  teachers.  The  annual  reports  of  the  visitors 
were  usually  creditable  to  the  school  and  to  the  management. 

The  creation  of  the  Regents'  ''Literary  Fund"  marks  the  be- 
ginning of  quite  an  important  era  in  secondary  school  life — the 
introduction  of  the  library  as  a  factor  in  educational  work.  The 
statute  creating  this  fund*  reads  in  part  as  follows : 

''That  the  control  of  the  Literary  Fund  is  vested  in  the 
Regents  of  the  University ;  and  that  they  shall  annually  divide 
the  income  thereof  into  eight  equal  parts,  and  assign  one  part  to 
each  separate  district ;  that  they  shall  annually  distribute  the 
part  so  assigned  to  each  district  among  such  of  the  incorporated 
seminaries  of  learning,  exclusive  of  colleges,  within  such  district 


'■  / 


•4   //^^^^aJ  .  'Xfi^^^   K- 


An   Old  Bill,   1830 

as  are  now  subject  or  shall  become  subject  to  their  visitation  by 
a  valid  corporate  act."  In  1830  this  fund  was  placed  in  a  con- 
dition for  distribution  among  the  schools  of  the  State.  As  a 
result  the  Trustee  "Committee  on  Visitation"  for  this  year  was 
able  to  report :  "We  have  been  enabled  to  add  to  the  library  262 
volumes;  should  this  plan  (the  Regents'  Literary  Fund  ])lan)  be 
persevered  in,  the  wisdom  and  importance  of  which  cannot  be 
questioned,  we  shall  keep  our  library  constantly  furnished  with 
nearly  all  the  works  of  merit  of  a  modern  character  which  may 
issue  from  the  press.  It  is  now  a  most  important  appendage  to 
the  Flail,  and  if  the  means  now  in  operation  shall  l)c  continued, 
we  have  reason  to  believe  it  will  give  character  to  the  Academy 
that  will  not  suffer  by  comparison  with  any  similar  institution  in 


*  Recorded  in  the  Minutes  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,   December  25,   1829. 


€l^tonicU^  of  €ra^mu>6?  l^all  3(^caDemp 


73 


the  State."  In  1834  the  Board  of  Trustees  raised  $250  to  secure 
a  Hke  amount  offered  by  the  Regents.  The  whole  amount,  $500, 
was  spent  in  equipment  suppHes.*  In  1835,  the  portion  of  this 
fund  awarded  to  Erasmus  Hall  to  be  expended  for  books  and 
apparatus  was  $895. 

One  of  the  teachers  was  made  librarian,  and  his  duties  were 
to  keep  a  catalogue  of  the  books  and  a  record  of  those  that  were 
in  circulation,  to  collect  fees  and  fines,  and  to  report  to  the  Trus- 


<^/^  ^..  /v  mm  /nr/rj/ 


♦ 


^J<>,^A-   ^^?^  .-/^-^^j^A*^*-' '^'"^^'' 


;.^J^W/  A^^^  ^^^ .^^\^/y^^, ^llIP- -^^ _^^ 
Jiiuk^  Z^''^'  '^^-^''''^^^  '^^^    .«<ii»*^*^^>S^ 


'f^/-^^ 


f-i-*^' 


Old  Letter  Found  in  Partition  in   1896 

tees  once  a  year.  The  Academy  library  was,  in  fact,  a  circulating 
library.  Books  were  lent,  not  only  to  pupils,  but  to  inhabitants 
of  the  town  and  to  transients.  An  entrance  fee  of  $5  charged 
every  pupil  was  transferred  to  the  library  fund,  and  this  was  aug- 
mented by  fines  and  fees.  For  the  use  of  books  from  the  library, 
Flatbush  people  were  charged  $1.50  per  annum,  while  the  charges 
to  transients  were  placed  at  the  discretion  of  the  librarian. 

For  several  years  the  Academy  was  popular  and  growing  in 


Minutes,    December   25,    1834. 


74  €f)r0niclc.0  of  €ra>5mui^  l^all  Stcaticmp 

popularity.  The  school  was  patronized  by  the  people  of  Flatbush 
not  only,  but  continued  to  draw  from  long  distances — Xew 
Orleans,  other  Southern  cities,  and  the  West  Indies.  The  Hall 
was  full  of  boarders,  and  even  though  it  was  visited  by  an  epi- 
demic that  threatened  to  impair  permanently  the  prosperity  of 
the  school,  the  institution  speedily  recovered  from  the  blow.*  In 
1826  the  income  from  tuition  alone  amounted  to  $3,225.50,  and 
this  was  increased,  in  1828,  to  $3,726.50.  In  1824,  although  the 
Trustees  paid  Mr.  Kellogg  a  $1,500  salary,  the  debt  had  been 
reduced  to  $723. t  In  1825  this  debt  was  lifted  and  the  Trustees, 
with  wise  foresight,  began  the  accumulation  of  an  endowment 
fund — a  fund  that,  increased  by  small  accretions,  came  in  after 
years  to  amount  to  $7,500.  Even  before  the  end  of  the  Kellogg 
administration  the  fund  gave  an  annual  return  of  $200  in  interest. 
In  spite  of  this  unusual  prosperity,  there  may  be  detected 
indications  of  a  growing  dissatisfaction  with  the  administration 
of  Mr.  Kellogg.  His  salary  in  1829  reached  $1,500.  Then  there 
seems  to  have  been  a  falling  ofif,  so  that  in  1833  it  had  been 
reduced  to  $800.  It  may  be  that  the  change  in  the  prosperity  of 
the  village  of  Flatbush  had  something  to  do  with  the  conditions 
at  the  x\cademy.  The  county  buildings  were  burned  in  1832  and 
the  county-seat  was  changed  to  the  now  rapidly  growing  city  of 
Brooklyn.  The  quiet  Dutch  village  may  have  lost  its  prestige 
among  the  towns  and  cities  of  Kings  County.  At  any  rate,  on 
December  2^,  1833,  the  Trustees  appointed  a  committee  to  find 
a  suitable  successor  to  Mr.  Kellogg.  At  the  close  of  the  school 
year,  May  i,  1834,  he  retired,  taking  with  him  a  large  number  of 
disaffected  pupils. 

^timini£(tration  of  tfje  l^etj.  l^illiam  J^enrp  Campbell, 

18344839 

The  conditions  at  Erasmus  Hall  at  the  close  of  ]\Ir.  Kellogg's 
administration,  were,  possibly,  brought  on  by  some  social  or 
administrative  misunderstanding.  When  the  committee  of  the 
Trustees  appointed  to  secure  a  successor  to  Mr.  Kellogg  made 
their  report,  they  said  that  they  had  had  several  interviews  with 
the  Rev.  William  H.  Campbell,  "late  principal  of  the  Polytechney 
at  Chittcnango,"  and  recommended  him  to  succeed  Mr.  Kellogg 
on  the  first  day  of  May,  1834.* 

I\lr.  Campbell  was  not  a  stranger  to  the  people  of  Flatbush. 


Minutc-s,    Dcccmhcr   25.    i8jg.  t  Minutes.    Dcccniher   ,31.  t  ^Minutes. 


Rev.  William  H.  Campbell 


75 


djronide^f  of  €ra^mu^  i^all  ^Lcabemp  ii 

He  was  a  brother-in-law  to  Dr.  Thomas  ]\I.  Strong,  under  whose 
supervision  he  had  completed  his  theological  studies;  and  he  had 
been  for  two  years,  it  will  be  remembered,  a  teacher  of  classical 
studies  with  j\Ir.  Kellogg.  In  these  years  he  had  found  time  to 
woo  and  to  win  Miss  Katherine  Ellis  Schoonmaker,  a  grand- 
daughter of  Dominie  Martinus  Schoonmaker,  who  preached  the 
last  sermon  in  Dutch  in  the  Flatbush  church.  He  left  the  Acad- 
emy to  begin  work  in  his  chosen  field  and  spent  two  years  as 
pastor  of  the  Reformed  Church  at  Chittenango,  New  York, 
where  he  had  been  also  a  successful  principal  of  a  leading  acad- 
emy of  the  State.  Though  he  had  established  himself  as  an 
eloquent  speaker  and  as  a  preacher  of  power,  he  had  been  forced 
to  withdraw  from  the  ministry  for  a  season  to  give  his  voice  a 
rest,  and  at  the  very  time  of  his  election  as  Principal,  he  was  con- 
ducting a  successful  private  school  in  the  village  of  Flatbush. 
Thus  he  was  within  easy  reach  when  the  Trustees  needed  a 
successor  to  Mr.  Kellogg.  The  choice,  therefore,  was  highly 
pleasing  to  the  patrons  of  the  Hall,  and  the  school  rose  again  to 
a  very  prominent  place  among  the  educational  institutions  of  the 
country. 

\\  hen  ]\Ir.  Campbell  entered  on  his  duties  as  Principal,  he 
had  three  assistant  teachers,  John  W.  Thompson,  Anna  F.  V^ose 
and  C.  B.  Raymond.  The  aggregate  amount  paid  to  the  entire 
teaching  force  was  $2,350  a  year,  but  the  school  seemed  to  take 
new  life.  ]\Irs.  Vanderbilt  speaks  of  Miss  Vose  as  her  favorite 
teacher,  and  says  that  she  soon  married  Mr.  Thompson ;  then  in 
a  short  time  they  left  the  school.  In  Principal  Campbell's  last 
year  at  the  Academy  he  had  four  assistant  teachers,  and  the 
aggregate  amount  paid  in  salaries  was  $3,400.  Among  these 
teachers  was  Mark  Hopkins  Beecher,  a  graduate  of  the  Poly- 
techney,  of  Chittenango. 

Mark  Hopkins  Beecher  was  an  assistant  teacher  in  Erasmus 
Hall  until  1840.  He  was  a  young  man  and  roomed  in  the 
Academy.  The  incorrigible  boys  feared  his  rattan.  If  they  were 
truant  or  dull,  he  was  accustomed  to  take  them  to  his  room  after 
school  hours,  and  while  he  was  dressing  for  the  street,  make  them 
sing  their  geography.  He  seems  to  have  endeared  himself  to  the 
young  ladies  of  Flatbush.  As  he  was  bright  and  witty  they  w^ere 
fond  of  his  society  and  spent  the  after-school  hours  promenading 
the  street  with  him.  It  is  reported  that  on  one  occasion,  for 
punishment  he  sentenced  a  small  offender  to  what  was  called 


78 


Cfjronicle.igr  of  ^ra^efmu^  ©all  Stcatiemp 


"the  dark  hole."  Putting  the  key  in  his  pocket,  he  started  out  on 
one  of  his  promenades  and  forgot  all  about  the  boy.  At  dark, 
when  the  frightened  parents  came  in  search  of  their  child,  they 
found  the  teacher  with  his  young  lady  friends  upon  the  street. 
The  boy  was  liberated  and  allowed  to  go  to  his  home.  Xow  a 
man  of  seventy,  he  remembers  with  a  feeling  of  pain  his  experi- 
ence in  "the  dark  hole.""^ 

This  "dark  hole"  has  left  a  very  vivid  impression  in  the  mem- 
ories of  several  of  the  respected  citizens  of  Flatbush ;  for  we  have 

reached  in  the  history  of  the  Acad- 
emy a  period  which  the  memory 
of  man  can  recall.     This  place  of 


Dr.  William  Henry  Camp- 
bell, after  leaving  Erasmus 
Hall  was  in  the  ministry  as 
pastor  at  various  places.  In 
1844,  Union  College  conferred 
on  him  the  degree  of  Doctor  of 
Divinity.  In  1848,  Dr.  Camp- 
bell returned  to  the  educational 
field,  becoming  Principal  of  the 
Albany  Academy.  From  1851 
to  1863,  he  was  Professor  of 
Biblical  Literature  and  Belles 
Lettres  at  Rutgers ;  then  for 
nineteen  years,  he  was  Presi- 
dent of  that  famous  college. 
At  the  age  of  seventy-four,  he 
again  returned  to  the  pastorate 
and  continued  to  preach  until 
within  a  few  months  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  Decem- 
ber   7,    1890. — Memorial. 


confinement  for  the  incorrigible  is 
described  as  a  closet  on  the  second 
floor  of  the  old  building,  near 
the  stairway.  ( )f  the  many  inter- 
esting stories  related  of  this  period 
the  reader  may  pardon  another. 
One  boy,  often  condemned  to  im- 
prisonment, was  usually  befriend- 
ed by  his  schoolmates.  A\  hen  the 
master  was  busy  with  his  classes, 
some  pupil  would  slip  out,  steal 
the  key  from  the  nail  where  it 
usually  hung,  and  liberate  the 
culprit.  This  boy,  now  a  respected 
resident  of  Flatbush,  relates  how 
he  spent  the  hours  when  he  was 
supposed  to  be  still  in  the  closet,  foraging  in  the  teachers'  rooms, 
devouring  such  fruit  as  he  found,  and  spending  the  day  in  happy 
indolence.  As  the  time  for  closing  school  approached,  he  would 
return  to  his  prison,  \\dien  the  master  came  around,  the  door 
would  be  safely  locked,  and  the  key  in  its  place.  Perhaps  the 
teacher  had  learned  the  tricks  of  the  pupil,  and  that  may  be  why 
Mark  Hopkins  Beecher  was  carrying  the  key  in  his  pocket  that 
day  when  he  forgot  the  prisoner. 

While  Dr.  Campbell  was  Princi])al  of  Erasmus  Hall,  the  reforms. 
so  noticeable  in  the  administration  of  ]\Ir.  Kellogg,  continued.  In 
1834  the  matter  of  training  the  public  school  teacher  was  before 


*  Mr.   I'clcr  Necfus  relates  this  story. 


€f)rDnicIe0  of  ^raamus  l^all  3lcaticmp 


79 


the  Xew  York  public.  On  ]\lay  2d  the  Legislature  empowered 
the  Regents  to  use  a  portion  of  the  "Literature  Fund"  providing 
for  such  training.  The  State  was  divided  into  eight  districts,  and 
the  Regents  proceeded  to  endow  a  department  for  the  education 
of  common-school  teachers  in  one  academy  of  each  district.  Eras- 
mus Hall  was  the  academy  selected  in  the  first  district;  first, 
because  the  value  of  philosophical  and  chemical  apparatiis  and 
library  was  superior  to  that  of  other  academies  of  the  district ; 
second,  because  the  course  would  be  likely  to  be  least  expensive 
at  Flatbush.''"^  The  next  year,  however,  the  Trustees  resigned 
the  charge"  because  of  the  "high  price  of  board  in  Flatbush  and 
its  vicinity,  and  from  the  fact  that  many  of  the  patrons  of  the 
school  have  in  view  higher  prospects  for  their  children  than  teach- 
ing common   schools. "t 

Having  reached  a  period  to  which  the  memory  of  man  easily 
reverts,  the  chronicler  meets  the  personal  element  in  the  conflict- 
ing stories  told  about  the  various  teachers.  In  matters  of  disci- 
pline, for  instance,  some  of  the  elderly  residents  of  Flatbush 
remember  Dr.  Campbell  as  of  a  mild  and  perfectly  charming  dis- 
position ;  others,  with  an  equal  care  for  truthfulness,  speak  of 
him  as  irascible  and  ungenerous.  At  times,  to  punish  a  pupil  he 
would  pin  the  culprit  to  his  coat-tail  and  walk  briskly  up  and 
down  the  hall.  If  the  ofifender  were  fortunate  enough  to  keep  up 
with  the  master,  he  was  soon  released  ;   but  if  he  were  to  trip  or 

stumble,  a  severer  punishment 
awaited  him.  One  day  the  clock 
in  the  old  Dutch  Church  struck 
twelve,  and  yet  the  master  mani- 
fested no  sign  of  his  intention  to 
dismiss  school.  "The  clock  has 
struck  twelve,"  announced  one  of 
the  larger  boys.  The  teacher 
looked  at  him  in  surprise,  then 
quietly  dispatched  a  messenger  to 
Afrs.  Campbell  to  announce  that 
he  would  not  be  home  to  dinner. 
Remarking  that  matters  had  come 
to  a  singular  pass  when  the  teacher 
must  be  prompted  in  his  duties  by 


Mark  Hopkins  Beecher 


*  Regents'   Report.   183;.  p.    108;     Minutes  of  Trustees.   February    10,    1835. 
ber  31,    1836.        i  Hough,  Historical  and  Statistical  Record,  p.   545. 


t  Decern- 


8o  C{)ranicle30f  of  oEra.smui^  l^all  3lcaDcmp 

a  pupil,  he  continued  the  morning  session  without  intermission 
until  time  to  close  school  for  the  day.  But  there  was  a  too  fre- 
quent resort  to  the  rattan.  On  one  occasion.  Dr.  Campbell,  after 
flogging  the  wrong  boy,  remarked  that  the  whipping  might  stand 
in  anticipation  of  one  of  which  he  would  be  deserving."^ 

Perhaps  it  is  not  wise  to  censure  the  principal  of  that  time  for 
severity  in  punishment,  for  there  are  indications  that  the  young 
people  of  the  Hall  tried  the  patience  of  more  than  the  teachers. 
The  annual  public  exhibitions,  which  were  usually  held  in  the 
Reformed  Dutch  Church,  were  very  important  occasions.  On 
these  occasions  the  Academy  boys  were  not  always  in  the  best 
of  order.  Things  came  to  such  a  pass  that  the  Trustees,  on  one 
occasion,  appointed  a  committee  of  five  members  ''to  preserve 
order  in  the  church." 

Then  there  were  little  incidents  which,  though  they  may  seem 
trivial  to  us  now,  tended  to  break 


Training  Ships. 


Mark      Hopkins      Beecher  ^he  monotony  of  school  life.    Such 

finally,  according  to  both  Mrs.  an  incident  was  the  experience  of 

Gertrude     Lefferts     Vanderbilt  ^  -^     ^^^^^^^^     Cremoni.       This 

and  Mr.  Peter  I.  Neefus,  left  the  ^     ^ 

Academy  to  accept  a  position  boy  was  brought  from   the    \Yest 

in  the  Observatory  at  Washing-         Indies  by  an  uncle,  who  registered 

ton,  D.   C.     Afterward,  he  be-  i  •        •       .-i         a        i  t^- 

'    -n     ,  r  AT  .1        .•  him   m   the   Academv.      It   seems 

came  Professor  of  Mathematics 

at  the  Annapolis  Naval  Acad-        that  there  was  a  family  feud  over 
emy  and  made  cruises  on  the        -j-i^g  child,  and  soon  a  Stranger  was 

seen  loitering  about  the  grounds, 
acting  suspiciously  and  mysteri- 
ously. The  excitement  reached  its  height  one  day  when  this  mys- 
terious stranger  was  discovered  in  one  of  the  enormous  willow 
trees  which  stood  on  either  side  of  the  gateway  entrance  to  the 
school-yard.  He  had  concealed  himself  there  to  kidnap  young 
Cremoni,  but  he  failed  in  his  effort.  The  boy  spent  several  years 
at  the  Academy,  becoming  finally  an  inmate  of  Dr.  Campbell's 
family.  To  the  more  timid  girls,  however,  that  tree  ever  after 
contained  among  its  drooping  branches  a  horrible  kidnapper  who 
was  ready  to  reach  down  and  seize  them  as  they  ran  through  the 
gateway. t 

About  this  time  a  new  educational  ideal  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  the  Academy  management.  Awake  to  new  ideas,  in  1836 
the    ]k)ar(l    dcleizated    'I'rustees    Strongs   and    Schoonmakcr   as    a 


*  Mr.    IVtcT    I.    Xrc'fiis.  t  Vouclu-d    for   by   several    residents   of    I'latlmsh    who    were 

pupils    at    the    Academy  wlun   tlie  events  oeeurred. 


> 

C 
w 

> 
r 
r 


00 

CO 


^  ^ 


8i 


€{)ronicIe^  of  €ra^mu^  I^aU  acaticmp  83 

committee  to  attend  a  convention  called  to  endeavor  to  establish 
a  manual  labor  school,  and  it  paid  the  expenses  of  the  delegates. 
The  Trustees  do  not  record  the  report  of  this  committee.* 

The  next  year  the  attendance  on  the  part  of  the  young  ladies 
of  the  vicinity  and  elsewhere  was  so  great  that  the  Trustees 
seriously  discussed  plans  for  the  erection  of  a  female  seminary  in 
Flatbush.t     These  plans,  however,  came  to  naught. 

In  the  report  for  1835  may  be  found  the  following  extracts, 
which  indicate  the  nature  of  the  work  done  at  Erasmus  Hall : 
''Exercises  in  prose  and  verse  are  written  every  week."  'Tn 
higher  mathematics  the  course  is  about  as  complete  and  nearly 
the  same  as  that  of  our  colleges."  The  pupils  are  taught  to  com- 
pute latitude  and  longitude,  ''important  errors  being  frequently 
detected  by  the  pupils  in  their  school  maps."  The  report  of  the 
Committee  on  Visitation,  furnished  with  every  report  to  the 
Regents,  often  throws  a  side-light 


Dr.     Campbell,    avers    Mr.  upon  the  conditions  at  the  school, 

Peter   I.    Neefus,   was   an   in-  and    at    the    same   time    furnishes 

veterate  smoker.     He  was  ac-  ^^^^  ^j-^^^  ^j.^  of  historic  interest, 

customed,    even    while    hearmg  „,,  .  •         1   •        o 

recitations,    to    walk    up    and  1  he  committee  appomted  in  1837, 

down  the  broad  hallway  smok-  state  :  "The  Principal  has  report- 
ing a  long  pipe.  Yet  no  one  ^^j  jq.  classical  scholars  or  schol- 
seemed  to  regard  this  as  m  .  ,  .  .  ,  ,  ,  ^ 
anyway   incongruous   with  the  ^rs    m    the    higher    branches    of 

environment.  English  education,  for  whom  the 

Board  will  be  entitled  to  draw  a 
proportionate  share  of  the  revenue  of  the  Literature  Fund.  This 
is  the  largest  nundDer  of  this  class  which  has  ever  been  reported, 
at  least  within  the  memory  of  your  committee.  It  is  one  of  the 
most  pleasing  as  well  as  positive  proofs  of  the  present  flourishing 
state  of  the  institution. "t 

Although  the  Academy  was  rapidly  approaching  the  fiftieth 
anniversary  of  its  founding,  there  still  remained  a  feeling,  pos- 
sibly inherited,  of  cold  indifference  toward  its  welfare.  Dr. 
Campbell,  however,  seems  to  have  possessed  the  power  to  draw 
all  the  people  of  Flatbush  together.  The  Trustees  recognized  his 
merits  and  recorded  their  appreciation  of  his  success  as  follows : 
"While  the  institution  has  been  in  operation  for  a  good  many 
years,  only  a  very  few  in  this  neighborhood,  comparatively,  have 
seen  proper  to  embrace  the  advantages  which  it  has  offered  to 


*  ^linutes,  April   5.         i  ;Minutes,  April   14,   18,  22,  and  October   10,    1837.         ±  Minutes, 
December    25. 


84  €l)ronicIc!5  of  aSrasmus  l^all  3lcaticmp 

their  sons  for  a  classical  education.  But  we  are  happy  to  perceive 
in  this  respect  a  very  great  change.  The  sons  of  many  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  village  and  of  the  neighboring  towns  are  now 
pursuing  studies  preparatory  to  professional  life ;  and  we  fondly 
hope  that  the  influence  of  the  institution  will  be  yet  more  generally 
felt  and  its  usefulness  yet  more  extended.  It  combines  at  present 
the  best  advantages  for  a  finished  classical  education.  The  teach- 
ers are  all  competent,  industrious,  faithful,  and  ambitious  of  their 
scholars'  improvement."* 

On  the  26th  of  November,  1838,  ^Ir.  Campbell  resigned,  his 
resignation  to  take  efifect  at  the  close  of  the  term.  ]\Iay  i,  1839.  I^ 
seems,  however,  that  he  continued  to  teach  in  the  Hall  for  several 
months  after  his  successor  came.  The  reason  for  his  leaving  was 
his  desire  to  return  to  the  work  of  the  ministry.  He  left  the 
school  in  a  very  flourishing  condi- 


The   portrait   of   Desiderius  tion.     Certain  it  is  that  the  matter 

Erasmus,  which  has  hung  in  of  income  did  not  discourage  him; 

the   Principal  s  office  for  manv  r       •        o   o    1  r 

years,  was  painted  in  Holland  ^OV  m  1 838  the  revenue  from  tuition 

at  the  request  of  :\Ir.  Campbell,  and  interest  amounted  to  $4,531.06, 
who  took  it  with  him  when  he  ,  r     1  •        1  1^1 
left  the  Hall  in  1839.     Principal  ^^^^    ^^^^    of     his    descendants    de- 
Van  Kleek  purchased  this  por-  clares  that  when  he  left  Flatbiish 

trait  from  Dr   Canipbell  for  $15  j.^    i,^^    $15,000— the    net    savings 
and   had  it   iramed,   and  when  ^   ^'  o 

he  left  the  Academy,  in  i860,  from  his  income  for  the  five  years 


the  Trustees  purchased  it  from 
him. — Mr.  Peter  Neefus. 


while  Principal  of  Erasmus  Hall 
Academv. 


1839=1843 

The  immediate  successor  of  ]\Ir.  Campbell  was  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Joseph  Penney,  who,  it  will  be  remembered,  served  as  a  teacher 
in  the  school  from  18 19  to  1821.  Dr.  Penney  was  called  from  the 
presidency  of  Hamilton  College  to  preside  over  Erasmus  Hall  at 
a  salary  of  $T,200.t 

The  only  light  we  get  on  the  administration  of  Dr.  Penney 
comes  from  a  number  of  letters  that  were  rescued  from  destruc- 
tion by  Mr.  Henry  B.  Davenport,  of  Flatbush.  In  one  from  a 
pupil  in  Erasmus  Hall  to  a  student  of  Union  College,  dated  June 
19,  1840,  we  glean  the  following  point  of  interest:    "I  was  greatly 


*  Report  of  the  Committee  on  Visitation,  Minutes,  Deccml)er  31,   1835.       t  Minutes  of 
Trustees. 


Cljroniclc.ie^  of  ^raamu.sf  l^all  aicaDcmp 


8; 


disappointed  in  ^Ir.  Penney  at  first,  and  thoug-ht  several  times  to 
leave  him  and  to  return  to  my  former  school.  But  I  am  more 
pleased  with  him  now  than  I  was  then.  But  yet  he  is  far  from 
being  such  a  teacher  as  the  one  I  left.  He  is  not  so  obliging  and 
so  willing  to  help  one  along  in  his  studies,  which  is  of  great 
advantage  to  a  student."  In  another  letter,  dated  September  lo, 
1840,  written  from  Flatbush,  we  have  selected  the  following 
statement  about  the  Academy :  "Erasmus  Hall  students  are 
preparing  for  the  examination  which  takes  place  in  October.  The 
question  is,  'W^as  Bonaparte  a  great  man?'    There  will  be  a  great 


Rev.  Joseph  Penney,  D.D. 

display  of  talent,  with  folly,  mirth,  nonsense,  beauty,  flirtations, 
etc."  It  seems  at  this  time  that  the  pupils  were  given  the  advan- 
tage of  a  good  course  of  lectures,  and  in  a  letter  from  Flatbush 
to  a  friend  in  one  of  the  colleges,  dated  February  5,  1841,  a  lec- 
ture by  Dr.  Campbell  is  mentioned,  on  the  following  subject: 
"Early  History  of  Holland  ;  or.  Whether  the  Hook  Caught  the 
Fish  or  the  Fish  Caught  the  Hook."  One  of  the  teachers  of 
Erasmus  Hall,  in  a  letter  dated  ]\Iay  5,  1841,  gives  a  point  which 


<-> 


86  €f)rDnicle,0  of  €ra.^mu0  l^all  3lcatiemp 

indicates  that  the  school  has  somewhat  fallen  off  in  attendance. 
He  states  :  "\\>  have  nearly  fifty  scholars,  boarders  and  all,  so 
that  the  room  is  nearly  running  over." 

Finally,  from  a  letter  dated  November  8,  1841,  the  following 
statement  is  taken:  "Dr.  Penney  has  left  the  Academy,  and  Air. 
L^ercnson  has  taken  charg-e  of  it.  School  commenced  last  Mon- 
day. The  boys  are  much  pleased 
with  him,  and  I  have  heard  some 
of  the  scholars  say  they  have 
learned  more  during  this  week 
than  they  would  in  a  whole  quar- 
ter of  Dr.  Penney."  Dr.  Penney 
resigned  his  position  on  August 
17,  1 841.  He  was  succeeded  by 
Mr.  James  Ferguson,  who  was 
appointed  Principal  on  the  5th  of 
the  following  October.  The  most 
that  we  gain  from  any  source 
about  Mr.  Ferguson's  administra- 
tion is  that  he  was  Principal  at  a 
salary  of  $1,200  for  nearly  two 
years — from  October  5,  1841,  to 
June  15,  1843 — ^^^^  t^'^^t  during  his 
administration  the  school  was 
declining  in  prosperity.  It  is  in- 
teresting to  note,  however,  in  con- 
nection with  life  in  Flatbush,  that 
at  this  period  the  village  was 
reached  only  by  stages.  "The 
mail  bag,  not  a  very  bulky  one  in 
those  days,  was  taken  over  to  the 
post  office,  nearly  opposite  the 
~~  ~-  ' — '  Dutch  Church,  and  w^as  sorted  by 
Mr.  Michael  Schoonmaker,  and  then  it  was  flung  back  to  the 
driver.'"''  In  1840  to  1843  stages  gave  place  to  onmibuses,  which 
ran  ever}-  hour.  Flatbush  Avenue  was  not  o])en  from  l^^dton 
Street,  however,  until  1856,  when  the  street  cars  came.  Often,  it 
seemed,  in  those  days  the  ])rosperity  of  the  Academy  varied  in 
inxcrsc  ratio  to  the  ease  with  which  the  outside  world  and  out- 
side schools  could  be  reached. 


Joseph  Penney  was  a  native 
of  Ireland.  After  the  proper 
preparation,  he  entered  Trinity 
College,  Dublin,  but  finished  his 
education  at  Glasgow,  in  1813. 
In  these  institutions,  he  was 
distinguished  as  a  thorough  and 
accurate  scholar.  In  the  spring 
of  1819,  after  being  licensed  to 
preach,  he  came  to  this  country, 
and  for  two  \ears  taught  in  an 
Acadeni}'  at  Flushing  [un- 
doubtedly Flatbush],  L.  I.  In 
1821,  he  became  Pastor  of  the 
First  Church  in  Rochester, 
where,  for  eleven  3'ears,  he  con- 
tinued his  work.  In  1832,  he 
accepted  the  pastorate  of  the 
First  Church  in  Northhampton, 
though  his  health  had  become 
greatly  impaired.  Later,  he  was 
chosen  President  of  Hamilton 
College.  After  serving  in  this 
capacity  for  a  short  term,  in 
1839,  "greatly  to  the  regret  of 
the  trustees  and  against  their 
earnest  request,"  he  resigned 
and  accepted  a  call  to  the  Prin- 
cipalship  of  Frasmus  Hall.  He 
died  at  Rochester,  New  York, 
in  March,  i860.  "As  a  preacher, 
pastor  and  scholar,  Dr.  Penney 
had  few  superiors." — A  Memo- 
rial of  the  Semi-C  entennial 
Celebration  of  the  Founding  of 
Hamilton  College. 


V'anderhilt.   j).   301. 


Rev.  Richard  D.  Van  Kleek,  D.D. 


87 


€J}rDniclc.0  of  aEra.0mu0  l^all  aicaticmp  89 

^timintstration  of  tije  ^ctj.  Bicfjarb  Dabifi  "VJan  llleefe,  B.23., 

1843=1860 

Mr.  Ferguson  was  succeeded  as  Principal  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Van  Kleek.  When  Dr.  \"an  Kleek  came  to  the  Hall,  he  had 
as  his  advisers  among  the  Trustees  five  of  the  most  distinguished 
men  who  had  served  in  that  capacity.  These  w^ere  Jeremiah 
Lett,  President ;  John  A.  Lott,  Treasurer;  Dr.  John  B.  Zabriskie, 
Secretary ;  the  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  ^I.  Strong  and  Dr.  Adrian 
Vanderveer.  One  little  discordant  note  is  found  in  the  ^Minutes, 
and  that  is  as  follow^s :  "The  committee  expresses  the  hope  that 
the  Trustees  will  patronize  the  school  as  an  example  and  recom- 
mendation."^ It  would  seem  from  this  that  the  people  of  Flat- 
bush,  including  some  of  the  Trustees  of  the  Academy,  were 
already  beginning  to  patronize  the  more  fashionable  schools  of 
the  neighboring  cities  of  Brooklyn  and  New  York.  But  the  new 
Principal  proved  equal  to  the  emergency  and  capable  of  over- 
coming all  obstacles  by  changing  the  conditions.  Though  of 
slender  build,  he  was  of  an  iron  constitution  and  of  remarkable 
activity  of  body  and  of  mind.  He  was,  above  all,  an  all-round 
teacher  and  ready  for  any  emergency.  Then  he  was  thoroughly 
prepared  for  his  work,  being  ''a  brilliant  English  grammarian,  an 
excellent  Greek,  Latin  and  Hebrew^  scholar,  a  good  mathema- 
tician, and  an  excellent  instructor  in  oral  and  physical  oratory." 
It  is  not  strange,  therefore,  that  he  succeeded  in  checking  the 
tide  toward  the  city  schools  and  in  rallying  to  his  support  the 
best  element  in  the  village. 

Dr.  Van  Kleek  put  new  life  into  the  old  Academy.  In  making 
his  first  report  to  the  Regents,  he  mentions  three  departments  in 
the  school,  a  ^Nlale,  a  Female,  and  a  Department  for  the  Instruc- 
tion of  Teachers  of  Common  Schools.  Though  this  department 
was  abolished  several  years  before,  here  is  evidence  that  Dr.  Van 
Kleek  w^as  still  trying  to  keep  it  alive. ^ 

The  school  was  not  without  its  lighter  courses  of  study.  A 
young  lady  writing  to  a  friend  at  college  in  1843,  says  :  "There 
is  a  dancing  school  established  at  the  Academy,  and  I  suppose 
you  will  wish  you  were  at  home  to  have  the  benefit  of  it."t 

An  indication  of  the  extreme  prosperity  of  the  Academy  at 
this    time    is    the    following    lengthy    but    interesting    report    of 


*  October  30,    1843.         r  [Minutes.   December  31,    1843.         $  Letter  owned  by  Mr.   H.   B. 
Davenport. 


90 


Cfjronicle^  of  aEra>6?mu.s?  l^all  SlcaDcmp 


Richard  L.  Van  Kleek 


visitation  made  to  the  Regents  by 
Regent  John  A.  Dix,  February  26, 
1846.  It  is  signed  by  Regents 
Dix  and  \\>tmore : 

"The  undersigned  members  of 
the  committee  of  the  Regents  of 
the  University  appointed  to  visit 
the  academies  on  Long  Island, 
and  the  counties  of  Westchester, 
Dutchess  and  Orange,  report  that 
on  the  17th  day  of  October,  in- 
stant (1845)  the}^  visited  Erasmus 
Hall  at  Flatbush  in  the  County  of 
Kings.  As  it  was  their  desire  to 
see  the  institution  in  its  ordinary 
state  they  gave  no  notice  of  their  intention.  On  arriving  at 
Flatbush  they  found  that  the  fall  vacation  had  commenced,  and 
they  were  unable  to  therefore  do  anything  more  than  to  examine 
the  building  and  inquire  into  the  condition  of  the  finances  of  the 
institution  and  the  arrangements  of  the  Trustees  in  respect  to 
teachers.  The  Academy  building  is  large  and  commodious,  hav- 
ing been  designed  for  the  accommodation  of  boarders,  as  w^ell  as 
for  the  purposes  of  study  and  recitation.  The  Principal,  Mr.  V^an 
Kleek,  occupies  a  part  of  the  building  with  his  family,  and  there 
is  a  dining  room  with  a  sufificient  number  of  dormitories  for  the 
convenient  accommodation  of  fifty  persons.  The  lecture  and 
recitation  rooms  are  all  under  the  same  roof,  so  that  the  pupils 
who  are  inmates  of  the  establishment  are  never  under  the  neces- 
sity of  going  into  the  open  air  for  any  academical  purpose.  The 
building  stands  nearly  in  the  center  of  a  lot  of  three  acres,  fur- 
nished with  shade  and  grounds  for  recreation  and  exercise,  and 
there  is  a  large  garden  and  spacious  outbuildings — everything,  in 
short,  which  is  requisite  for  the  Principal  and  his  family,  as  well 
as  for  the  pupils.  The  village  in  which  the  institution  is  situated 
is  quiet  and  healthy,  and  though  less  than  four  miles  from 
Brooklyn  it  enjoys  for  a  large  portion  of  the  year  all  the  seclusion 
of  a  settlement  in  the  interior  of  the  Stale,  in  all  respects  the 
position  of  tjic  institution  is  admirably  adapted  to  academical 
instruction  ;  and  the  undersigned  learned  with  regret  that  it  had 
not  recently  enjoyed  its  customary  share  of  public  ])atronage. 
The  price  of  l)oard  and  tuition  has  heretofore  been  fixed  at  $180; 


Cl)rDnicle.i0f  of  oEra.i^mu.i^  i$M  3lcaDemp 


91 


but  in  consequence  of  the  competition  of  rival  institutions,  some 
of  which  have  recently  risen  up  in  its  neighborhood,  the  charge  is 
to  be  reduced  to  $150,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  number  of 
pupils  may  be  increased  in  proportion.  The  Principal  of  the  insti- 
tution was  unfortunately  absent,  and  had  locked  up  the  keys  of 
the  library  and  lecture  room,  so  that  the  undersigned  were  unable 
to  examine  either  the  books  or  the  apparatus."* 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  significant  indications  of  the  scho- 
lastic condition  of  an  educational  institution  may  be  found  in  the 

nature  of  the  books  chosen  for  the 
library.  Many  inferences  regarding 
the  teachers  and  the  value  of  their 
instruction  may  be  drawn  from  a 
study  of  such  a  list  as  the  following, 
added  to  the  Erasmus  Hall  library 
on  October  31,  1846.  There  were 
fifty  books  in  the  list,  and  among 
them  were  Darwin's  "Voyage  of  a 
Naturalist,"  Schiller's  "Thirty 
Year's  War,"  Schiller's  "Revolt  of 
the  Netherlands,"  France's  "Ora- 
tors of  the  Age,"  Miss  Edgeworth's 
Novels  and  Tales,  Chateaubriand 
on  English  Literature,  "The  House 
I  Live  In,"  Bacon's  Works,  and 
Wirt's  "The  Spy."  Certainly  such 
a  choice  of  books  would  indicate 
a  progressive  spirit  and  a  healthy 
condition  so  far  as  reading  was 
concerned. 

Among  other  testimonials  as  to 
the  worth  of  the  library  and  the  lasting  influence  of  the  school  of 
this  time,  is  that  of  Mr.  John  S.  Lott.  He  asserts  that  though 
he  was  college  bred,  the  influence  of  his  college  was  as  nothing 
compared  with  that  of  Erasmus  Hall.  He  never  goes  into  his 
own  library  without  feeling  grateful  to  the  old  school.  Although 
in  science  he  was  given  Goldsmith's  "Animated  Nature"  as  a  text- 
book ;  he  owes  all  that  he  is  and  all  of  his  love  of  books  and  of 
learning  to  Erasmus  Hall.  He  was  a  student  here  until  1862. 
The  first  effort  at  grading  seems  to  have  been  made  in  the 


Dr.  Richard  D.  Van  Kleek, 
born  in  1804,  graduated  from 
Union  College  and  from  the 
Theological  Seminary  of  New 
Brunswick.  In  his  first  pastor- 
ate, at  Somerville,  New  Jersey, 
he  laid  baptismal  hands  upon 
the  infant  brow  of  the  Rev.  T. 
De  Witt  Talmage,  D.D.  He 
succeeded  in  turning  an  un- 
usually large  number  of  his 
pupils  into  the  ministry.  Among 
these  may  be  mentioned  :  Jacob 
Wyckoff,  John  G.  McNair, 
John  Howard  Suydam,  Daniel 
Rapalje,  John  S.  Lott,  J.  Lott 
Zabriskie,  G.  W.  Bacon,  James 
Lent,  Robert  G.  Strong,  Mason 
Strong  and  John  T.  Rhodes. 
In  i860,  having  resigned  his 
Principalship  of  Erasmus  Hall, 
Dr.  Van  Kleek  moved  to  Jer- 
sey Git}-,  where,  at  his  own  ex- 
pense, he  erected  a  school  house 
and  for  several  years  taught 
English  branches  and  the  clas- 
sics. There  he  died,  in  1870, 
full  of  years  and  of  good 
works. 


Minutes  of  the  Regents. 


92  €f)rontcle0  of  aBra.^mu.s  l^all  9(.caDcnip 

time  of  Dr.  Van  Kleek.  The  Trustees  record  the  fact  that  the 
Principal  had  separated  the  smaller  children  and  those  in  the 
elementary  branches,  and  placed  them  under  his  daughter  to 
teach,  while  he  was  devoting  himself  exclusively  to  the  pupils  in 
the  classical  and  the  higher  departments  of  English.  "The  Prin- 
cipal finds  that  in  this  way  he  will  not  need  the  services  of  any 
male  assistant.  And  while  this  plan  has  been  adopted  with  the 
approbation  of  your  committee,  we  are  decidedly  of  the  opinion 
that  it  will  be  highly  advantageous  to  the  Academy,  and  give  far 
more  satisfaction  than  the  previous  arrangements.""^'    This  seems 

to  be  in  keeping  with  the  progress 


Dr.  John  B.  Zabriskie  "was        of   education,   as   about   this   time 
a    man    of    fine    phisique    and         .1  u-      4.     £  ^^  ^.^       4- 

noble  appearance    His  tastes  in-         ^he  subject  of  grading  was  attract- 

dicated  refinement  and  intelli-        ing  the  attention  of  teachers. 

gence    for  he  devoted  his  lei-  ^j      teaching  force  also  received 

sure    irom    professional    duties  ° 

to  the  cultivation  of  music  and  proper    attention     from    Dr.    \"an 
to  books.  Fond  of  reading  him-  ^^^^^^       ^y|^-j^   j^^   ^j-^   ^^^^^^-^   ^^^^^ 
self,  he  was  ever  anxious  to  en- 
courage young  people  to  study,  his   facultv   the   various   members 
and  he  endeavored  to  promote  ^^    j^-^   ^^^^^    f^^^^^i      ^3    rapidly    as 
a  love  of  learning  in  the  village.  -^                f       j 
He  was  in  the  habit  of  lending  they  became    fullv   prepared    for 
out  books  from  his  private  li-  ^j^^   ^^.^^^    j^^   ^j^^^^.g   l^^j   enough 
brary,  and  was  ever  willing  to  '                     -                     ,       ° 
direct   the    course   of   reading  teachers  of  suitable  preparation  to 

among  his  young  friends  and        counteract    any    charge    of    nepo- 

the  children  of  his  neighbors.  ... 

— Mrs.  Vanderbilt.  tism.      The    Principal's    influence 

ever  tended  toward  the  spiritual 
and  the  moral  elevation  of  the  pupil  as  well  as  toward  his 
intellectual  development.  An  indication  of  the  requirements 
supposed  to  be  necessary  for  teaching  at  this  time  may  be 
traced  from  a  report  of  the  Trustees  on  the  proficiency  of  a 
Miss  Schafifer,  whom  they  were  about  to  engage.  They  note  in 
their  AHnutes  that  she  had  studied  astronomy,  natural  philos- 
ophy, Whelpley's  Compend,  Tytley's  History,  music,  moral  and 
intellectual  philosophy,  Kames's  Elements  of  Criticism,  algebra 
and  French.  The  higher  branches  she  had  studied  with  her 
father,  W.  C.  Schafifer,  Professor  of  Chemistry,  Center  College, 
Danville,  Ky.t 

Dr.  Van  Kleek  was  one  of  the  principals  that  drew  students 
from  great  distances.  ^Many  young  people  came  to  the  Academy 
from  foreign  countries.     There  were  several  from   Brazil,  some 


*  Minutes,   Report   of   Committee  on  Visitation,   October   31,    1846.        t  Minutes,  October 
31.   1847. 


Cfjraniclc!^  of  €ra.0mu.i^  l^all  StcaDcmp 


93 


from  ^lexico,  and  more  from  Cuba,  while  Sweden  and  Spain  had 
representatives  at  the  school.  The  Trustees  report :  The  Principal 
has  nineteen  pupils  living  in  his  family.  ''W'e  cannot  but  hope 
and  believe  that,  as  the  excellent  qualifications  of  the  Principal 
for  his  important  office  become  more  extensively  known,  the 
institution  will  enjoy  as  large  a  share  of  public  patronage  as  any 
other  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city  of  Xew  York.''"^ 

That  the  Principal  was  popular  with  his  pupils  is  proved  by 
the  testimony  of  all ;  and  a  large  number  of  his  old  pupils  are 
still  living.  The  following  letter  will  recall  pleasant  scenes  to 
those  who  tised  to  sit  in  the  presence  of  Dr.  \'an  Kleek,  and  will 
also  express  the  sentiments  of  many  others  w-hose  memories 
revert  to  that  period. 


Dr.  Walter  B.  Gunnison  : 

Dear  Sir  :  The  request  for  reminiscences  of  Erasmus  Hall  turns  the 
glance  of  memory  down  a  long  vista  of  time.  I  am  seventy-one  years  of  age. 
Erasmus  Hall  had  its  influence  and  made  its  impressions  upon  me  at  almost 
the  very  beginning  of  my  life. 

W^ith  two  brothers  and  two  sisters,  all  born  in  the  old  house  at  the  north- 
west corner  of  Flatbush  and  Church  Avenues,  I  could  look  out  to  the  south 
and  see  the  Academy  grounds,  with  their  flourishing  shrubs  and  trees.  We 
all  knew  there  was  our  school.  We  knew^  also,  if  any  of  us  w-ere  in  danger 
of  becoming  "limbs,"  there  we  would  find  the  correction  intended  to  properly 
bend  "the  twig."  With  childish  eagerness,  I  listened  to  the  talk  of  an  elder 
brother,  wdio  was  under  the  instruction  of  Principals  Penney  and  Ferguson, 
to  catch  any  news  which  would  give  hint  of  experience  to  be  expected  there. 

I  entered  Erasmus  Hall,  probably,  in  my 
ninth  year,  1844.  Through  my  entire  course 
I  was  continuously  under  the  supervision  and 
instruction  of  Rev.  Richard  Davis  Van  Kleek 
and  his  assistants.  Mr.  Van  Kleek  was  Prin- 
cipal from  1843  to  i860. 

I  had  an  almost  instantaneous  view  of  dis- 
cipline. On  my  first  da}-  of  attendance,  my 
first  task  w-as  to  reproduce  in  a  "copy-book" 
two  examples  of  script,  printed  on  a  strip  of 
card  board — "fine  hand"  above,  "coarse  hand" 
below.  I  followed  the  upper  line,  and  filled 
about  one-half  of  my  page  with  work,  of 
which  I  felt  rather  proud.  Do  not  mention  it 
to  more  than  two  or  three  of  your  most  inti- 
mate friends — I  came  very  near  getting  a 
Jeremiah  Lott  Zabriskie  genuine  "strapping"  with  a  real  strap.     The 


^rinutes.  December  25,   1847, 


94  CI&tonicIc>s?  of  €rai^mu^  I^all  acaDemp 

roomful  of  boys  was  under  the  care  of  the  athletic  and  morose  assistant 
teacher,  Mr.  Morris.  It  was  his  habit,  between  recitations,  to  pace  up  and 
down  one  of  the  long  aisles  between  the  desks  with  a  strap  of  old  harness, 
coiled  around  his  right  hand,  the  effective  end  lying  up  along  his  forearm, 
ready  to  bring  down  a  stinging  blow.  What  was  my  disma}^  to  find  the 
teacher  stop  to  examine  my  work,  with  right  arm  raised,  and  the  fierce  de- 
mand, "Why  did  you  not  copy  coarse  hand?"  I  was  saved  by  the  inter- 
vention and  explanation  of  my  neighboring,  kind-hearted,  senior  pupil. 

They  were  the  days  of  the  ferrule  and  the  rattan.    All  important  cases  were 
relegated  to  the  Principal,  especially  those  which  required  rattan,  and  which 
were   known   among   the   boys    as   cases 

,,,,.„  .  of  "capital  punishment."     All  the  older 

Mary  Van  Kleek  was  given         ,  ,  •      ,  i  i 

charge  of  the  Primary  depart-  ^oys  were  seated  m  the  one  large  lower 

ment  on  October  31,  1851.  After  room   of   the   easterly   wnng   of   the    old 

teaching  a   few   years,   she   be-  building.       That     room     was     furnished 

came  the  wife  of  Mr    Peter  I.  ^j^j-,   .^   j       ^   g^^^^   jj-j  ^^^^  center,   from 

?^eefus.     Elizabeth    Van  Kleek    1  ,  •  ,       1  .  •  ,  ,  • 

was  a  teacher  at  the  Hall  in  '  ^^ich  a  long  stove  pipe  ran  to  a  chimney 
1853.     Richard  Lawrence  Van  m   the    rear,    supported    at   intervals   by 

Kleek,    after    graduating    from  wires   of  considerable  length,   spreading 

the  University  of  the  City  of  ^^^^  .„,j  attached  to  the  ceiling.  The 
New    York,    was    employed    as  i-   1  .     .         .•  .  •  u 

assistant  at  the  Academy.     He  slightest    motion    upstairs    would    cause 

left  this  position  to  study  medi-  |  much  vibration  m  those  wires.  When 
cine,  a  profession  in  which  he  ■  an  aggravated  case  required  immediate 
met      with      unusual      success.  attention,  the  culprit  would  be  ordered 

rannv  Van  Kleek  and  her  sis-  ^     ^,    ^  ,  ,,      ui 

ter,  Virginia,  were  likewise  ^°  ^^'''^  "PP^^  ^^o"^'  ^'"o^"  ^^  ^^'^  1^^" 
teachers  at  the  Hall  in  the  ad-  ture  room."     The  Principal  would  grasp 

ministration     of     their     father.  his   rattan,  and,  with  an   injunction   for 

Every    member    of    the    family  silence,   would    follow,   carefullv   closing 

thus  seems  to  have  been  of  a  ^,       ,  .1        ^  •         -r>  I1  u 

pedagogical    bent,    possibly    in-  ^^^^  ^^°°^  ^'^  ^^^  ^^'''^^-     Presently  would 

heriting    the    teaching    faculty    i      be  heard  the  scuffling  of  feet,  the  muffled 
from  their  very  fortunate  par-    |      sound  of  blows,  and  occasional  exclama- 
tions.    The   wires    would   be   in   violent 
vibration,  and  some  of  the  waiting  pupils 
below  would  call  beneath  his  breath,  "Oh,  fellows!  see  the  telegraph!" 

Sometime  we  were  obliged  to  admit  that  the  provocation  was  great.  The 
closing  exercises  of  each  Friday  afternoon  were  devoted  to  reading  com- 
positions and  delivering  of  orations,  the  Principal  presiding,  and  the  task 
of  presenting  one  or  the  other  of  these  efforts  falling  to  each  boy  above  a  cer- 
tain age  on  alternate  weeks. 

On  a  certain  occasion,  one  of  the  eldest  pupils  read  an  excellent  composi- 
tion on  a  rather  abstruse  subject.     The  Principal  asked,  "Mr.  .  Did  you 

compose  that,  or  did  you  copy  it  from  some  book?"  Promptly  the  response 
came,  not  much  to  the  credit  of  the  pupil's  rhetoric  or  logic,  "It  does  not 
matter  where  you  get  it,  as  long  as  you  get  it."  We  could  see  righteous 
indignation  rise  in  the  Principal's  face,  as  he  seized  his  rattan  and  glided 
from  his  rostrum,  while  the  pupil  also  rapidly  left  his  location.  With  bated 
breath  and  staring  eyes,  the  entire  company  saw  pupil  and  Principal  three 
times  circumnavigate  the  periphery  of  the  large  room,  the  rattan  getting  in 


ent. 


C^roniclce  of  €ra0mu.0  l^all  acaDemp 


95 


its  blows  whenever  they  could  be 
made  to  tell,  until  pursuer  and  pur- 
sued, exhausted,  dropped  in  their 
respective  stations. 

Occasionally  cases  demanded  the 
wisdom  of  a  Solomon  to  decide. 
As,  for  example,  when  the  Baldwin 
twins,  who  so  closely  resembled 
each  other  that  their  classmates 
could  not  distinguish  them  unless 
they  stood  side  by  side,  were  de- 
tected in  some  mischief,  and  the  ac- 
cused culprit  would  say,  "No,  Sir ! 
It  was  my  brother !"  The  case 
would  be  given  up  as  inscrutable, 
or  they  would  both  be  punished, 
because  they  both  deserved  it. 

But  we  came  to  learn  that  Prin- 
cipal Van  Kleek,  while  insisting  that 
"discipline  must  be  maintained,"  was 
not  all  hardness.  He  was  a  good 
instructor  and  had  a  warm  heart 
within.  This  we  found  when  he 
had  opportunity  for  confidential  ad- 
vice and  encouragement  for  his  pu- 
pils. We  shall  always  remember 
the  kindness  and  care  with  which  he 
accompanied  three  of  us,  classmates.  Bacon,  Neefus  and  myself,  as  we 
appeared  for  the  ordeal  of  the  entrance  examinations  at  Columbia  College, 
and  also  the  affection  and  pride  with  which  he  looked  upon  us  when  it  was 
known  that  we  had  safely  passed  the  test  and  w^ere  entered  as  sophomores 
in  the  class  of  1854. 

Sincerely  yours, 

Jeremiah    Lott    Zabriskie. 


Dr.  J.  B.  Zabriskie 


For  several  years  now  the  institution  ran  in  a  regular  and  an 
easy  way.  always  popular  and  always  well  attended.  The  event 
of  each  year  was  the  public  exhibition  which  took  place  in  the 
month  of  April.  Dr.  \"an  Kleek  was  well  qualified  to  exercise 
the  young  people  in  the  art  of  writing  and  delivering  orations. 
In  1845,  from  a  program  that  is  at  hand,  w'e  find  Mr.  Peter  I. 
Neefus  speaking  on  the  subject  of  'TndifTerence  to  Popular  Elec- 
tions," Air.  John  H.  Ditmas  on  'Tnlidelity,"  John  L.  Zabriskie, 
*'A  Discourse  on  Head-dresses."  In  1846  the  names  of  ^Ir.  Ditmas 
and  Mr.  Xeefus  reappear  on  such  subjects  as  ''Duties  of  American 
Citizens,"  and  "Lafayette."     In  1848  we  meet  the  name  of  Jacob 


96 


Cf^roniclcs  of  oSra.^mujSf  l^all  3(.caDemp 


S.  Wyckoff,  who  spoke  on  ''The  Msion  of  Belshazzar,"  and 
J.  K.  Smyth  on  "The  Immortahty  of  Alan."  In  general,  these 
exhibitions  were  remarkable  for  their  length,  forty-three  different 
persons  appearing  on  the  same  program  with  orations,  compo- 
sitions or  declamations.  Interspersed  with  these  exercises  there 
were  the  usual  number  of  musical  selections. 

In  the  midst  of  this  prosperity,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of 
Trustees,  held  April  4,  1848,  the  death  of  Dr.  John  B.  Zabriskie 
was  announced.  He  had  been  Clerk  or  Secretary  of  the  Board 
since  1836,  and  his  influence  had  been  felt  in  the  management  of 
the  Hall.  The  regard  with  which  he  was  held  by  his  colleagues 
is  expressed  by  the  following  resolution,  adopted  by  the  Board : 
''Resolved,   That  we   deeply   regret  the   death   of  our   associate 

Trustee,  Dr.  John  B.  Zabriskie,  who 
by  his  long  intercourse  with  us,  by 
the  faithfulness  in  the  discharge  of  all 
his  duties,  by  the  purity  of  his  life, 
and  the  disinterestedness  of  his  mo- 
tives, endeared  himself  not  only  to 
this  Board,  but  to  its  members  indi- 
vidually."* 

In  1849  Erasmus  Hall  was  selected 
by  the  Regents  as  one  of  the  institu- 
tions at  which  meteorological  obser- 
vations w^ere  to  be  taken.  From  that 
time  on  there  w^as  some  one  employed 
regularly  to  take  these  observations 
and  report  them.  For  many  years 
this  work  was  delegated  to  the  Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  M.  Strong,  a 
Trustee  of  the  institution. 

In  1850  the  financial  condition  of  the  institution  was  at  its 
best.  The  permanent  fund  had  increased  to  $7,500.  This  money 
was  invested  and  returned  a  regular  annual  income.  A  little  later, 
in  1859,  new  rates  of  tuition  were  adopted.  They  were  as  fol- 
lows :  For  spelling,  reading,  writing  and  arithmetic,  $3  a  term  ; 
for  these  with  geography,  $3.50  a  term ;  for  the  same  with 
English  grammar  and  second  arithmetic,  $4  a  term  ;  for  history, 
astronomy  and  composition,  $5  ;  for  algebra  and  higher  English 
branches,  $6;  for  classics,  that  is,  Latin  grammar  and  English 
translations,  $7;  for  the  classics  wnth  higher  branches,  $8;   for  all 


Fannie  Van  Kleek 


*  Minutes. 


€f)rDmcIcs  of  aSraemus?  l^all  acaticmp 


97 


other  studies,  from  $8  to  $io  a  term.  The  year  was  now  changed 
so  that  the  vacation,  consisting  of  nine  weeks,  occurred  in  the 
summer,  while  school  extended  from  September  to  July,  with  the 
ordinary  holidays. 

On  the  27th  of  February,  i860,  after  serving  the  Academy  for 
about  seventeen  years.  Dr.  \'an  Kleek  of  his  own  free  will  gave 
the  Trustees  notice  of  his  intention  to  withdraw  from  the  prin- 
cipalship  on  the  ist  day  of  ^lay  following.  In  his  letter  of  resig- 
nation he  gives  no  definite  reasons  for  his  action ;  but  on  the 
other  hand,  he  says:  'T  beg  that  the  Trustees  may  not  ascribe 
the  present  movement  to  any  failure  on  my  part  to  appreciate  the 
importance  of  their  kindness  to  me,  nor,  in  a  word,  to  anything 
inconsistent  with  the  kindest,  most  grateful,  and  most  respectful 
regard."  In  reply,  the  Trustees  ex- 
press confidence  in  him  and  an  appre- 
ciation of  his  w^ork,  cherishing,  as 
they  did,  a  high  regard  for  him  *'as  a 
man,  a  scholar,  a  Christian,  and  an 
instructor  of  youth."* 

Cransiitional  ^eriob, 
1860=1879 

The  next  Principal  was  the  Rev. 
William  H.  Howard,  w^ho  filled  the 
position  from  September  5,  i860,  to 
May  I,  1863.  He  was  a  graduate  of 
Oxford,  England,  and  had  been  prin- 
cipal of  an  academy  at  Jersey  Shore,  Penn.  In  October,  1863,  the 
Trustees  report  that  ''the  entire  discipline  of  the  Hall  has  been 
greatly  improved.""  Among  the  assistant  teachers  of  this  time 
were  two  of  some  importance — Erskine  Howard,  educated  at 
Western  ^Military  Academy,  Kentucky,  and  Abbie  Sexton,  grad- 
uate of  the  State  Xormal  School. 

In  i860,  Erasmus  Hall  caught  the  military  fever.  This  is  not 
strange,  for  two  reasons :  First,  the  Civil  W^ar  was  pending ;  and 
second,  Mr.  Erskine  Howard  was  fully  equipped  for  teaching 
military  science.  On  the  13th  of  October  the  Trustees  began  to 
consider  the  matter  of  organizing  a  military  department.  Before 
the  month  was  over,  the  department  was  established,  and  twenty 


Jeremiah    Lott,    (Trustee- 
President,  1829-1861.) 


*  Minutes,  ^larch   3,   i860.  t  ^linutes,   October   13,   i860. 


98 


arfjroinclcs  of  oEraamuj^  l^all  acaDcmp 


Rev.  William  H.  Howard 


muskets,  cartridge  boxes,  etc.,  were 
purchased.  After  the  Howards  left  the 
school,  efforts  were  made  in  vain  to 
dispose  of  this  apparatus,  which  seemed 
to  be  of  no  further  use."^ 

It  is  interesting-  to  note  that  at  every 
turn  in  the  affairs  of  village  or  county 
or  State  or  Nation,  Erasmus  Hall  Acad- 
emy and  its  loyal  Trustees  stood  ''four- 
square to  all  the  w^inds  that  blew^"  and 
foremost  among  the  inspirers  and  pro- 
moters of  good  citizenship.  A\'hen  the 
idea  of  free  education  for  every  child 
as  a  necessity  for  making  good  citizens 
was  advocated  and  the  State  provided  a  Common  School  Fund, 
when  the  library  was  suggested  as  a  necessary  part  of  any  com- 
plete school  equipment,  when  the  State  realized  that  in  order  to 
have  progressive  schools  provision  must  be  made  for  the  better 
training  of  her  teachers,  when  the  process  of  grading  was  insti- 
tuted as  an  improvement  on  the  old  method  of  grouping  pupils 
in  classes  regardless  of  age  and  proficiency,  when  the  country 
was  calling  her  young  men  to  arms  in  the  defense  of  her  Union 
and  needed  the  private  in  the  ranks  as  well  as  the  officers  trained 
in  the  military  art — at  every  turn  and  at  every  call  the  Academy 
was  ready  to  take  the  lead.  The  idea  might  be  a  new  one  and  the 
Principal  of  the  school  might  be  little  more  than  a  transient,  hold- 
ing his  place  in  the  community  for  only  a  year  or  two,  yet  the 
spirit  of  progress  and  loyalty  and  patriotism  was  ever  present 
and  characterized  the  action  of  teacher 
and  trustee  at  every  crisis  in  the  his- 
tory of  education. 

Erasmus  Hall  was  doubly  fortunate 
in  her  guardians  whose  lives  of  useful- 
ness were  often  extended  into  unusually 
long  periods.  When  the  end  of  service 
of  such  trustees  came,  the  loss  to  the 
school  was  often  a  serious  one.  Tn  this 
administration,  indeed,  there  fell  upon 
the  Academy  a  very  severe  blow.  At 
a  meeting  of  the  r)Oar(l  of  1'rustees  on 
October    12,    i^'C)i,    was   announced   the  Mr.  Erskine  Howard 


Minutts,   ()ct<il)er   13,   24,   i860;    April  21,   1864. 


CI)ronicIc.i^  of  aEra^mu.36^  i^all  ^caDemp 


99 


deaths  of  both  the  Hon.  Jeremiah  Lott  and  Dr.  Thomas  M. 
Strong.  I\Ir.  Lott  had  served  as  President  of  the  Board,  without 
intermission,  since  1829.  Dr.  Strong,  the  beloved  Pastor  of  the 
Reformed  Dutch  Church  of  Flatbush,  had  served  the  Board  as 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Visitation  for  ahiiost  the  entire 
period  of  membership  in  that  l^ody.  Possibly  the  later  deca- 
dence of  the  Academy  may  be  traced  to  the  loss  of  these  two 
great  men  in  the  administration  of  affairs.  In  1863  the  Com- 
mittee on  \^isitation  reported  not  enough  pupils  to  pay  the 
teachers.  After  the  retirement  of  ]\Ir.  Howard,  the  data  about 
teachers   contained   in   the   ]^Iinutes   are   very   meager. 

On  the  nth  of  April,  1863, 
Principal  Howard  tendered  his 
resignation  to  accept  a  very 
urgent  call  to  the  pastorate ; 
and  the  Rev.  Eli  T.  Mack, 
having  been  duly  elected  to 
the  principalship,  entered  upon 
his  duties  ]\Iay  ist."^  He 
served  in  this  capacity  for 
eleven  years,  and  his  depart- 
ure, then,  seems  to  have  been 
regretted.  The  average  daily 
attendance  ranged  from  80  to 
103  pupils.  H  i  s  teaching 
force  consisted  of  four  or  five 
assistants,  including  his 
daughters,  Elizabeth,  who  had 
charge  of  the  primary  depart- 
ment, and  Helen,  wdio  super- 
vised the  French  department.  Both  were  regarded  as  superior 
teachers.  Soon  after  leaving  the  school,  Elizabeth,  on  application 
to  the  Trustees,  was  furnished  a  good  letter  of  recommendation. 
The  finances  of  the  institution  were  in  charge  of  Judge  John 
A.  Lott,  and  had  the  management  been  in  less  competent  hands, 
the  institution  would  certainly  have  met  with  disaster.  In  these 
years  the  total  expense  of  a  pupil  at  the  Hall  w^as  $250  a  year. 
In  1868,  $32  were  charged  for  English  alone,  $48  for  English  and 
higher  branches,  and  $60  for  English,  the  higher  branches  and  the 
classics.     In  187 1  the  tuition  money  amounted  to  $4,526.63.     The 


Rev.  Eli  T.  Mack 


*  Minutes. 


100 


€f)rDnicIc.0  of  €ra^mu.i^  l^all  3lcaDemp 


l:)iiil(ling  was  well  filled  with  board- 
ers, and  the  Principal  was  allowed 
$75  annually  for  taking  the 
meteorological  observations. 
Yet  several  times  the  Trus- 
tees were  called  on  to 
remit  the  rent,  and  in 
the  annual  reports  there 
was  a  tone  of  despond- 
ency. The  Treasurer 
was  authorized  to  dis- 
pose of  certain  bonds 
and  securities.  Before 
the  close  of  Mr.  Mack's 
administration,  the  re- 
serve fund,  so  carefully 
guarded  by  Judge  Lott, 
was  reduced  from  $7,500 
to  $7,000. 
The  resignation  of  ]\Ir.  Mack, 
no  doubt  due  to  declining  health, 
took  effect  on  May  i,  1874.  After 
Mr.  Mack  left  the  Academy  there 
was  a  forced  vacation  of  several  weeks  while  the  Trustees  were 
searching  for  a  successor.  Finally,  on  July  14,  1874,  ^Ir.  Jared 
Hasbrouck  was  elected  Principal,  and  he  served  in  that  capacity 
until  July,  1879. 

The  great  event  of  this  period  was  the  institution  at  the  Hall 
of  ''Examinations  for  Regents'  Certificates  of  Academic  Scholar- 
ship." Tn  1875,  February  25th  and  26th  were  set  aside  for  the 
first  trial.  A  committee  of  the  Trustees  was  appointed  to  super- 
intend these  examinations.  Its  report  is  long  but  interesting  to 
those  who  are  following  the  progress  of  educational  methods. 
The  rules  for  seating  i:)upils,  for  opening  the  envclo])es,  for  dis- 
tributing questions,  for  furnishing  paper  and  jxmis,  and  for  refus- 
ing explanations  have  since  been  changed  little  if  at  all ;  so  they 
need  not  be  given  here.  The  comments  of  the  committee  on  the 
nature  of  the  examination  are  very  suggestive: 

"The  trial  was  a  new  and  strange  one  to  the  pupils  of  Erasmus 
llall  Academy,"  they  report,  ''and  ])roduccd  some  nervousness 
calculated  to  prevent  the  pupils  from  doing  themselves  full  justice. 


Judge  John  Vanderbilt 


)'^' 

- ----- '    ,--.-...  -  -. . .    ^   - . . ,  -  .  -  -     ,  , ._ 

( 

; 

r 
\ 

iRASMUS  HALL  ACADEMY, 

1 

) 

] 

} 

IPmlbl^  :  ^:dkiiIbMfen,  Awul.  l!!^  '44o 

I 

) 
) 

ORDF.R    OF    HXERCISRS. 

H  r  a  |>  e  r . 

) 

MUSIC. 

) 

William  .\.  YouNf; Jlohmliiuhn. 

,JoHM  Garkktson.            ....          JInmr. 

John  A.  Case,          ..     .      .     .     .       Amrrirn. 

John  H.  Ditmas,           ....          Washingian. 

MUSIC. 

>    , 

John  L.  Zahriskir,          ....       Heroes  of  ih' Inst  ^rar. 

Jamks  Dki'KVstkk,           ....          Rinorx  to  sell. 

Thomas  Cnfruii.        .....        The  VHiir'nn. 

R.  0.  Ckommklin,         .      .     .     .          CdS'ihinnrii. 

B.  Ben.nem  Rowland,           .      •     .        The  Bth/r  ((s  a  ehssic. 

MUSIC. 

Gf.oroe  Lovett,            ....         Kfhirafioii. 

John  L.  Voinv;,         A  i>ftir  nl'  Bmsts. 

Ahraham  DiTMA.s,         ....          Jirilish  reiianl  lo  rivil  lihertij. 
William  II.  Story,        ....       Jlim:  thr  hll. 

MUSIC. 

fc/i 

JA(•ot^  P.  Vandkrs  i;i.i;,             .      .          Mnrro  Jhr.arris. 

(jEoiuje  Martkn'se,          ....        Nalliiiiai  ili'irtir/rr. 

J.  Oa¥EV,  J.  R.  VANDKRVi;f;K,        i       r)ialn:»n<' — 

A.  Lfvrr,  \.  Ditmas,     ...        \               An  isiair  ilisjioac'l  of. 

PkTKU  CoUTKLVOf.               ...                   f-j'of/iniirr. 

MUSIC 

f 
>  > 

RoHEKT  O.  Cko.mmi.li.v,                             Nnlionii!si!j'.ri-iii<'. 

PkTKR  WvCKOFK,            .....           ll'ljiX  to  rrild. 

.John  R.  Van dkbveer,         .     .     ,          Gi  r.ms  in  Amrricn. 
|JoHN  Oakey,            ......        Dttef/ini:. 

MUSIC                      ' 

.'jtiEonoE  W.  Warner,     .     .     .     Shnji/irii^/ of  our  r>ri/  Inslilnrn.n^. 
Abraham  Vanulkiiilt,         .          .        Tlf  future. 
Abraham  LoTT,         .....         V.-uati'Mi — Thr  Vn:, 

-  - 

■ 

Program  of  Public  Exhibition,  1844 


102 


€f)ronicIc$  of  €ra>5mu.i^  l^all  acaDcmp 


Now  that  the  nature  of  the  trial  is  known,  better  results  may  be 
looked  for  hereafter.  The  questions  proposed  are  open  to  some 
criticism  as  to  their  fairness  and  propriety,  as  for  instance  the 
one  in  arithmetic  which  called  for  an  original  problem  in  propor- 
tion. If  we  remember  correctly  there  were  two  of  these.  We 
suppose  that  in  very  few^  schools  are  the  pupils  taught  to  make 
their  own  problems;  and  it  is  surely  not  just  to  spring  such  a 
proposition  upon  the  class  without  warning  and  make  it  a  test  of 
knowledge.  The  sentence  presented  to  be  parsed  was  also,  to 
say  the  least,  of  quite  unusual  English  and  by  no  means  a  speci- 
men of  chaste  and  elegant  English.     It  was  open  to  considerable 

variety  of  opinion  as  to  how  por- 
tions of  it  should  be  construed. 
It  was  hardly  the  right  kind  of  a 
sentence  to  test  the  grammatical 
knowledge  of  the  scholars  of  an 
academy." 

Thirteen  pupils  presented  them- 
selves for  examination.  The  sub- 
jects w^ere  arithmetic,  grammar, 
geography,  spelling,  and  penman- 
ship. In  arithmetic  there  were 
two  trials  of  two  hours  each. 
Twenty-four  questions  were  given, 
eighteen  of  which  must  be  an- 
swered correctly  in  order  to  pass 
the  pupil.  Four  of  the  thirteen 
passed  in  this  subject.  In  gram- 
mar, eighty  questions  were  asked. 
Sixty  correct  answers  were  required  for  passing,  and  six  passed. 
In  geography,  forty  questions  were  proposed,  thirty  correct  an- 
swers required,  and  six  passed.  In  spelling,  one  hundred  ques- 
tions were  given,  eighty  must  be  spelled  correctly,  and  four 
passed.  Specimens  of  penmanship  were  submitted.  "The  writing 
in  nearly  every  instance  was  neat,  distinct  and  satisfactory  ;  but 
as  no  standard  was  submitted  all  that  can  be  done  is  to  send 
the  si)ecimens  to  Albany  for  examination." 

The  following  is  the  summary  of  the  results:  Miss  Bertha  C. 
Gantries  and  Masters  Charles  N.  Wells  and  Cornelius  Bergen 
passed  all  the  examinations,  entitHng  them  to  Regents'  certifi- 
cates.    I{^llcn  (].  Dean  passed  in  grammar,  geograph}-  and  spclHng; 


Dr.  Adrian  Vanderveer,  who 
had  served  on  the  Board  since 
the  9th  of  May,  1818,  died 
on  July  5,  1857.  His  life  had 
been  an  active  one  in  many 
lines.  In  his  profession,  he 
was  recognized  as  a  leader, 
having  served  as  Secretary 
of  the  Kings  County  Med- 
ical Society.  In  fact,  the 
meeting  preliminary  to  the 
organization  of  that  Society 
was  held  at  his  residence  Feb- 
ruary 25,  1822.  In  religious 
lines  Dr.  Vanderveer  was  a 
leading  member  of  the  Re- 
formed Dutch  Church.  In 
1825  he  organized  the  Sunday 
School  for  the  F  1  a  t  b  u  s  h 
Church.  His  death  left  a 
vacancy,  extremely  difficult  to 
fill  in  the  Board  of  Trustees  of 
Erasmus  Hall. 


I  // 


V 


'/ . 


///  /■r'/'//r'/'^///r>/f      ///     / /  "> / 


/,/  //. 


//f'/^/A/''Jf/f^'<       -^V/     /y/'     ^>rrfr.j<f/* 


Invitation  to  One  Hundredth  Anniversary 


103 


104 


€f)ronicIe^  of  OEra^mu^  i^all  3lcatiemp 


Stephen  C.  Halstead  in  grammar,  Robert  Lefferts  in  geography, 

and  J.  Tahiiadge  Bergen 
in  all  except  spelling. 

The  report  concludes  as 
follows :  "From  the  in- 
formation they  can  obtain, 
your  committee  conclude 
that  the  results  presented 
here  are  equal  to  those 
usually  obtained  when  the 
trial  is  conducted  in  a 
spirit  in  accordance  with 
the  regulations  of  the  Re- 
gents. In  our  case  the 
rules  were  carefully  and 
exactly  observed.  But  it 
does  not  seem  to  us  that 
this  attempt  of  a  method 
altogether  new  to  both 
the  scholars  and  the  com- 
mittee, affords  results 
from  which  a  fair  judg- 
ment of  the  attainments 
of   these    pupils    can    be 

formed.     If  similar  examinations  are  held  hereafter,  we  will  be 

better  prepared  to  meet  them."* 


Judge  John  A.  Lott 


^bminisitration  of  tfje  I^eb.  I^obcrt  (§rier  Strong, 

18794892 

The  Hasbrouck  administration  was  brought  to  an  end  rather 
abruptly.  On  February  8,  1879,  the  Trustees  notified  the  Prin- 
cipal that  the  rent  of  the  Flail  had  been  raised  from  $150  per 
annum  to  $500.  On  the  ist  of  March  following,  the  authorities 
informed  Mr.  Hasbrouck  that  they  desired  to  terminate  his  con- 
tract with  the  school.  On  the  loth  of  May  the  Trustees  met  at 
the  residence  of  Dr.  J.  L.  Zabriskie  and  elected  to  the  Principal- 
shi])  the  Rev.  Robert  Grier  Strong,  who  had  been  their  choice 
and  had  virtually  accepted  the  position  on  the  retirement  of  Mr. 


*  Minutes,    March    22,    1875.      This    Committee    consisted    of    the    Rev.    Dr.    John    M. 
Ferris,  tlic  Hon.  Abraham  Lott,  and  Dr.  John  L.  Za1)riskie. 


Rev.  Robert  Grier  Strong 


los 


€iitomcU^  of  €tti^mii0  l^all  9lcaDemp  107 

Mack.  At  the  time  of  his  election,  Mr.  Strong  had  a  flourishing 
private  school  in  Flatbush  and  was  able  almost  to  dictate  his  own 
terms  to  the  Academy  Board.  He  accepted  the  principalship  on 
certain  stipulated  conditions,  one  of  which  forever  changed  the 
nature  and  policy  of  Erasmus  Hall. 

The  Academy  had  been  a  boarding  school,  and  some  of  the 
principals  had  reaped  harvests  from  their  boarders.  Mr.  Strong, 
however,  stipulated  that  the  boarding  department  be  completely 
separated  from  the  scholastic.  Mrs.  John  AVerner  was  the  first 
stewardess.  For  the  privilege  of  boarding  the  pupils,  Mrs.  Wer- 
ner agreed  to  pay  $20  a  month  for  the  first  year.     After  May, 

1880,  she  was  to  pay  at  the  rate  of  $300  a  year,  and  after  May, 

1 88 1,  $400  or  $500  a  year,  according  to  her  success.  The  two 
departments  ever  after  remained  distinct.    The  old  Academy  had 

■  passed  from  a  boarding  school  to 


T^     T,             A/r   o  a  select  day  school. 

Dr.  Thomas  M.  Strong  was  1                            -^ 

called    to    the    Flatbush    Re-  j          In  all  the  history  of  the  Academy 

formed    Church   in    1822      He  perhaps  the  greatest  event  was  the 

was  the  nrst  pastor  settled  over  ^       ^    .         ^ 

this  church  alone.    Dr.  Strong  celebration  of  the  centennial  anni- 

was  born  at  Cooperstown,  New  j      yersary  of  its  founding.     This  im- 

York,  in  1797,    He  was  a  grad-  „   .                  .     , 

uate  of  Columbia  College  and  portant  affair  occupied  two  days, 

of    the    Princeton    Theological  Tyne    I  ^th    and    l6th    of   the    year 

Semmary.     His   hrst   pastorate  •    ,    1 

was  at  Norfolk,  Virginia.     He  1887,    at    the    close   of   the    eighth 

died  in  Flatbush,  June  14,  1861.  year  of  Mr.   Strong's  administra- 

By      his      denomination,      Dr. 

Strong  was  regarded  as  one  of  tion. 

the  leading  members.  i          The   exercises   of  the   first   day 


began  in  the  evening.  The  town- 
hall  had  been  engaged,  and  the  ball-room  was  decorated  with  red, 
white  and  blue  bunting,  flags  and  coats-of-arms.  Flowers  made 
up  in  every  device  known  to  the  florist  w^ere  carried  into  the  hall 
in  such  profusion  that  one  would  think  a  floricultural  show  was 
in  progress.  They  were  placed  along  the  front  of  the  stage,  on 
the  steps,  window,  and  in  fact,  wherever  there  was  room.  Throngs 
of  intellectual,  bright-eyed  maidens,  young  men  and  numerous 
children,  with  proud  papas  and  mammas,  poured  into  the  vast 
auditorium  until  it  seemed  as  if  the  capacity  of  the  building 
would  prove  inadequate  for  the  audience.  The  Rev.  William  H. 
Campbell,  D.D.,  wdio,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  Principal  of  the 
Academy  from  1834  to  1839,  opened  the  exercises  with  a  short 
address  to  the  pupils.  Then  a  long  program  was  rendered — decla- 
mations and  orations,  interspersed  wdth  excellent  music.    As  this 


io8 


€f)rDnicIe^  of  <lEra^mu^  i^all  3lcaDemp 


Jeremiah  Lott  was  the  son 
of  Johannes  E.  Lott  and  was 
born  October  14, 1776.  In  1801, 
he  was  appointed  Clerk  of  the 
Board  of  Supervisors  of  the 
County  of  Kings,  holding  that 
appointment  for  forty-two 
years.  For  four  terms,  between 
1814  and  1839,  he  represented 
his  county  in  the  State  Legis- 
lature. He  held  the  office  of 
surrogate,  to  which  he  was  ap- 
pointed in  the  year  1814,  suc- 
cessively for  the  period  of  nine- 
teen years.  In  the  War  of  1812 
with  Great  Britain,  he  held  a 
captain's  commission  in  the 
Flatbush  company  of  militia. — 
Mrs.  Vanderbilt,  p.  189. 


was  ''Pupils'  Day,"  those  who  participated  in  the  program  were 
pupils  of  the  school.  John  B.  Zabriskie's  salutatory  in  Latin,  entitled, 
"All  are  Nymphs  of  the  Ocean  Spray,"  elicited  much  applatise.  A 
unique  exercise  was  the  Salutation:  1787-1887,  "delivered  in  old 
Long  Island  Dutch  of  1787  by  one  of  the  oldest  residents,  Alyn- 
heer  Jan  Gerritse  Carlsz  Van  Kouwenhoven."  But  when  Alletta 
F.  Stoothoff  appeared  upon  the  stage  in  "Old  Mother  Hubbard"  as 
the  grandchild,  the  audience  went  wild.  A  shower  of  bouquets  fell 
around  her  as  she  was  about  to  leave  the  stage. '^'  The  festivities 
ended  for  the  first  day  only  to  be  continued  through  the  next. 

The  ceremonies  of  the  second  day  were  held  in  the  chapel 
of  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church.  Long  before  the  evening  pro- 
gram  began,   the   Trustees   and   their   invited   guests   assembled 

in   the   old   Academy  btiilding  or 

on  the  grounds  of  the  Hall  adjoin- 
ing the  chapel,  and  sat  under  the 
shade  of  the  old  porch  and  the 
grand  old  trees  which  dot  the 
lawn.  Old  pupils  were  present  in 
large  numbers  and  the  flood  of 
history  and  reminiscences  was 
thoroughly  enjoyed.  IMeanwhile 
the  crowd  was  assembling  in  the 
chapel.  They  came  not  only  from 
the  village  of  Flatbush,  but  from 
Gravesend  and  Flatlands  and  New 
Utrecht  and  New  Lots,  just  as 
pupils  used  to  gather  in  the  days 
of  "Auld  Lang  Syne,"  from  the 
same  towns  for  instruction  in  the  Academy.  A  corps  of  ushers 
attended  to  the  seating  of  the  audience.  At  the  back  of  the  plat- 
form the  National  colors  were  draped  in  graceful  festoons,  and 
upon  them  hung  a  large  water-color  of  the  Academy  building  as 
it  appeared  in  1826.  It  looked  then  as  it  does  to-day.  save  that 
now  there  arc  more  trees  about  it.  Indeed,  Erasmus  Hall  to  all 
outward  seeming  stands  to-day  just  as  it  did  when  in  1787  the 
building  was  opened  for  school  purposes. 

The  exercises  opened  with  prayer  offered  by  the  Rev.  J.  Paschal 
Strong,  formerly  a  pupil  of  this  school.  After  music,  the  address 
of  welcome  was  delivered  by  the   Rev.   C.   L.  Wells,  Pastor  of 


*  OuDtfd  (|uitc  literally  from  a  newspaper  clippinj?. 


€l)ronicIe^  of  €ra^mu^  i$aU  aicatiemp 


109 


Rev.  Robert  Grier  Strong^  son 
of  Dr.  Thomas  M.  Strong,  was 
a  native  of  Flatbiish.  In  suc- 
cession he  graduated  regularly 
from  Erasmus  Hall,  New  York 
University  and  the  New  Bruns- 
wick Theological  Seminary.  x\fter 
spending  nearly  three  years  as  as- 
sistant pastor  of  the  Reformed 
Dutch  Church  of  Flatbush,  he 
served  for  nine  years  as  pastor  of 
a  Church  at  New  Brunswick,  New 
York.  In  1870,  he  opened  a  pri- 
vate school  in  the  lecture  room  of 
the  Reformed  Dutch  Church,  Flat- 
bush.  When  he  became  Principal 
of  Erasmus  Hall,  he  moved  "his 
prosperous  and  successful  select 
school  into  the  Academy  build- 
ing." He  died  on  April  22,  1892. 
The  interment  was  in  the  family 
plot   in    Greenwood    Cemetery. 


the  Reformed  Church  of  Flat- 
bush.  He  spoke  to  the  following 
effect: 

Custodc  dca  crescct'wus  the  motto 
adopted  by  the  founders  of  the 
Academy.  It  expressed  a  hope  and 
was  a  prophecy.  They  declared  that 
it  would  grow  under  Divine  Provi- 
dence ;  it  has  grown  under  Divine 
Providence,  and  all  the  years  of  the 
century  that  have  passed  have  seen 
it  exerting  a  wide  influence  for  sound 
learning  and  pure  religion.  The  insti- 
tution has  sent  forth  many  who  have 
vindicated  the  usefulness  and  glory 
of  such  a  training.  We  are  here  to 
welcome  you  on  the  one  hundredth 
birthday  of  the  Academy.  We  wel- 
come those  who  have  been  teachers 
or  pupils  in  the  institution.  We  have 
with  us  to-night  the  Rev.  Dr.  Camp- 
bell, who  was  once  a  principal  of  the  institution  fully  half  a  century  ago.  His 
memorx^  is  cherished  by  all  who  were  so  fortunate  as  to  enjoy  the  benefits  of 
his  teaching.  It  was  not  my  fortune  to  study  under  him  at  Erasmus  Hall,  but 
at  New  Brunswick  I  enjoyed  the  pleasure  and  benefit  of  his  instruction.  All 
that  I  know  of  the  language  of  the  Scriptures  I  owe  to  his  training.  We  can 
look  back  over  the  past  with  gratitude  to  the  Providence  of  God.  The  union 
of  religious  influence  with  literary  training  has  been  the  aim  of  those  who 
have  controlled  the  destinies  of  the  school.  The  founders  believed  in  God 
and  in  the  word  of  God  and  they  sought  to  embody  those  principles  in  the 
school  which  they  founded  and  thc}^  succeeded.  The  portrait  of  one  of  the 
incorporators,  Dr.  John  H.  Livingston,  looks  down  upon  us  from  the  wall.  So 
also  does  the  portrait  of  Erasmus,  who  might  be  called  the  patron  saint  of 
the  Reformed  Church.  To  read  the  roll  of  the  incorporators  sounds  like 
calling  the  roll  of  families  who  are  our  familiar  acquaintances  to-day.  Among 
them  we  find  the  names  of  Lott,  Vanderbilt,  Vanderveer,  Suydam,  and  others. 
Once  more  I  say  to  all  the  scholars,  patrons  and  friends  of  the  institution,  we 
bid  you  welcome — in  this  chapel  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  the  Triune  God. 
When  the  influences  of  sound  religion  and  God's  word  go  hand  in  hand  with 
sound  literary  training,  the  desired  ends  of  education  are  accomplished  and 
the  social  problems  of  the  age  will  not  be  difficult  of  solution. 

A  historical  sketch  of  Erasmus  Hall  Academy  was  read  by  the 
Rev.  John  M.  Ferris,  D.D.,  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees, 
and  editor  of  the  Christian  Intelligencer,  who  then  introduced  the 
Rev.  William  H.  Campbell,  who  was  the  uniqtie  figure  of  the 
occasion.  The  venerable  gentleman,  white-haired  but  still  strong 
and   vigorous,    was    received    with     prolonged     applause.      After 


^1 

• 

//</>.  /r^/ ...<:,/   /^/y,  ,,,,/:^,,^ 

/r^  ^^  f. 

r,/" 

f^   /  rf../  f//  f-' 

'/.,yy 

_ 

■  /^.>,  /T 

/s.f  r 

J.'y, 

/    .. 

-'/  y. , 

,    ./.■ 

If 

(,.., 

.  //.„„ 

/ 

// 

;'// 

.^^ 

^/  f/      .//.  3 

.U.3 

3/)? 

3r  36 

i  V 

.  <  y 

.(/<,    u- 

.f',.,,. 

// 

// 

7 

/(■  Si       3/  J 

3/!3S 

Jo. 3 

■  hi  M 

.  I'iV. 

i  ii: 

r'/.      ,,./y. 

./'/,</.. 

/Off 

J 

^ 

i'i' 

^/ 

//'/^      ,/^JJ 

.303 

3i  3 

3(  n 

n 

,7 

R.. 

r,,...y 

^/ 

/I 

/y 

/^ 

//  //^      .//  J 

3r./, 

.J/OJ 

.Iti  .U 

.  )/-lv 

,  i:ir 

V 

.y.,.r 

i 

9 

J^i 

.^i- 

/J^.U     Ji/.6 

7 (J J 

M).6 

.)/.  6f/ 

.  rii 

.  /'/; 

.>.'/// 

•  A-4lf 

6 

J/ 

M 

^i 

J^:i6     3/j.:i 

3f  H 

3  a  3 

3o  Jf 

.  i  -Ji: 

.  ill. 

.K... 

-v 

./«<, 

7 

.r// 

y// 

.)•/ 

3S.M      M.4'/( 

./^  J 

3/-  <>. 

30.36 

^tV;- 

.>',i' 

f.V  ,   ./y 

.K„ 

/- 

3^ 

>■> 

JY 

4f&  /s-     3r  2 

.70  'J 

■  30.  .3 

7/-.  j/r 

.<'// 

•  IV/ 

■K., 

»^ft<r 

? 

J/ 

^/^ 

3J 

34^  s:2     J  A  / 

JJ/S 

■  A./ 

//.  // 

.  i:u 

.  ih 

K 

t^Utf 

JS 

// 

J^ 

^^ 

3^ 

3yj3      3o /i 

■  Jr  3 

3r^j 

.3/  y{ 

<i  jj- 

.'•//• 

O. ../, 

// 

J/ 

-^/^ 

3'/ 

3<'3J     ■?/.<' 

3i. .', 

3/S 

J/  W> 

.  <v. 

.  ii 

rr„.,y 

,Aft4  t 

/2 

32 

^■^ 

JS 

3i  ro     ,u.  s 

3r.  ^ 

3r.J 

.//.  ^( 

■  r.i- 

yi.i 

('r,t,.^^ 

(  r^tuiy 

/3 

3^ 

3/> 

3f 

J/.  3 -J     3r2i 

JC  3S 

3/  i 

.7r.  J6 

.i./i- 

.  i  ,'j 

.'/S 

/4 

Ji 

3^ 

■^/ 

3i'  33      3/.  6 

JL  ;■ 

/ 
.J/>s 

.V.66 

S  If 

jf 

•.A„ 

/./ 

M 

W, 

«.? 

^/f  J3       .?(  S 

,//.  ..' 

J I  :^r 

/r 

//' 

J,„, 

./c.r 

./r>V/^^,„ 

'It  f/if^ 

//irtt  rf 

Jfa; 

jf.  36 

/^e 

// 

3: 

v<> 

39 

36. 1 3     .'Y.i 

3t.6 

.>■/./( 

J,   // 

.  /•<:• 

.  (' 

t  ■'<{  t  r 

// 

'/ 

^/ 

J^ 

JJ..f     JAS 

/ 

3r6 

3/ -if/ 

.'V 

J' 

.y<At  > 

Crrt4.U^ 

/i 

37 

/ 

i// 

^/r 

^^33     3l'.0 

J/,  i 

3/  h 

3<.i/ 

y  ir 

j'/r 

^cctt 

^a*f 

/fl 

y/ 

66 

^/ 

i/.ij       3,.  V' 

Jf  ^ 

3/  ^ 

J/  w 

.s'li: 

j'./r. 

7 

Jfc 

^^ 

i<r 

'J',-.  33      J/>  ^ 
/ 

30  3 

3fli 

Jr.  3/ 

Sr. 

JV: 

^fitd  yl 

/So 

21 

^2 

6c 

^^ 

i/  /6        JL  / 

.'7  / 

■?r  / 

.;/.  /3 

St: 

J'r 

(  '^^f4^y 

(•r,,u^ 

:22 

y> 
/ 

6J 

^/ 

3o  ^ff      3r. 

J.',  s 

■  A/,  / 

. '  ■  .  ■// 

.111 

.  ^  //• 

.A^f* 

J'.y 

7/ 

H 

.>.r 

<'3  It      3c  /S 

.It.  J 

.//V 

JV./( 

ir 

.hh' 

•    ''r//  / 

i^-tti 

y^ 

J/- 

Ss 

-^J 

^/^  33     3C.  J 

3(J 

3r/.( 

,//;  /( 

J 

,Cf 

./<... 

yi 

4-^ 

6'J 

S2 

.//  /*/       3f 

M: 

3f. 

.V  (f 

.i- 

If 

,A„. 

Ji 

J^ 

W, 

^■■> 

Ji/6      3/. 

.//./ 

J/i 

,//.  // 

./.// 

//; 

V 

.>w<» 

'/ 

^/ 

^6 

ye 

J6  W      .//>  J 

jy..)' 

3r3 

3f.3'6 

.4./' 

j7>. 

.^**»- 

.  n 

^^ 

^6 

36 

36. /6      3/3 

3/3 

3r.Ji 

J/.Ji' 

.i/f 

./>/< 

K^/Jt  , 

^/a.tr 

d!) 

y 

',0 

^j' 

V.  <r^       J/>  3 

3c  J 

3/  y 

.?rjr 

.  A/r 

Alt 

y».. 

J^4r 

.10 

.7/ 

S3 

w, 

4'IU     3f.2 

3CJ 

3C3 

Jr.  33 

..  ;-//;■ 

Air- 

.j:,.. 

f>vz<  r 

3/ 

J( 

^/ 

^s  , 

^rlAfi     .n.3 

,//  3 

jr.  J 

Jr.  .v 

./7/: 

.I'll- 

,  33n  r- 

«  \H  r 

•Jd-^-art^/ 

/ru  a  p 

.   ^2.fJ 

3r-3f 

JO 

^■y   'fru 

LVrf// 

36,  rt 
j..i,    CO    S.t: 

y.3/ 

J.    s  /.3:  j':r.  y.  >  ss     i 

■  h    //J 

/..  .. 

330  ^ 

/k  /. 

Ae 

,y^u 

■^/f^^  . 

-     S'^^^/,    ZSS,         (^/Cc^.^y. 

^fs:   . 

/t:*<^-^, 

633      J'j^<^<    . 

/J  .t.,.. 

*/ 

'^e-t' M-i/^'n^  Jfi'^ir/ 

e<.^.c 

SJr"  t^c^cy 

/fu^**iz://  i/^y^   /y  'f 

r../:^,y/' S' 

z-' 

^y,)/. 

^/^r* 

^^^     /'.<  ,,y 

y 

Oi.i)  Wkatiikk  Kf.i'ort,  hS^^ 


J 


.    ///.frr//'r^//^r'ff^  '9rj/**w^/^J. 


4L../    /^  txr/Cj  c/   .^tf^TfO-^     />^     /WX      *^'tt,^    ^f*tr/  J^i-<~f^-  t^A-r/r^'y^    /,.^'r/^ 


/  /  /  / 


/^  rrrt/     /-ffa/i/    ?^ut*^i^pw    ncrirf/    (."///.    c//f<///   j/rf'< /J  ^j"^  <^t/y  rtff //. 

'  /    /  / 

Jl  y/nr/i'    /re      ///     ///t       >/iri/tr//y 

^  i  hrrf/cccA/,,//  /,e.a/y 


//  >i/,//i     Ar //    /r^/r/  ^eittr     ^, 


//  //Atr     ,,,/,/ J     ,4,       //^/i 


y/ 


Old  Weather  Report,  1833 


112 


Cf)r0nicle.s  of  aSrasmug  l^all  StcaDcnip 


relating  the  circumstances  of  his  first  coming  to  Erasmus  Hall,"^ 
Dr.  Campbell  spoke  somewhat  as  follows  : 

I  formed  friendships  then  that  last  till  this  daj-,  those  of  them  that  are 
still  living.  I  was  made  President  after  the  resignation  of  Dr.  Kellogg,  and 
I  did  the  best  I  could  to  discharge  my  arduous  duties.  I  am  glad  to  be  here 
to-night.  Hallowed  memories  surround  us.  I  would  like  to  mention  some  of 
those  I  loved  and  who  have  passed  away,  but  will  refrain  from  doing  so  for 
fear  that  in  mj-  haste  I  might  overlook  some  of  the  honored  names.  The 
living  of  you  among  whom  I  have  lived  so  long  I  love,  and  of  those  dead  I 
speak  but  words  of  reverence.  I  love  Flatbush  and  love  the  people  who  live 
here.  What  a  blessing  it  will  be  if  the  second  century  of  our  Academy  shall 
be  better  and  younger  than  it  ever  has  been.  That  this  may  be  and  that  God's 
blessings  may  rest  upon  you  all  is  my  constant  pra3'er. 

As  the  representative  of  the  Regents.  Dr.  St.  Clair  ]\IcKelway 

next  spoke. 

He  said  that  he  had  been  much  impressed  with  the  interest  and  suggest- 
iveness  of  Dr.  Ferris'  history,  and  with  the  ability  and  attractiveness  of  Dr. 
Campbell's  reminiscences.  To  both  gentlemen  he  paid  a  high  compliment. 
The  three  points  which  he  elaborated  were:      (i)    The  steady  progress  and 

improvements  in  methods  which  the 
Academy  had  made  in  one  hundred 
years;  (2)  the  constancy  with  which 
it  adhered  to  its  foundation  principles 
of  morality  and  religion,  and  (3)  the 
creditable  fact  that  it  had  never  called 
on  the  town  for  tax  money  but  had 
supported  itself.  He  closed  b}'  adjur- 
ing the  people  to  emulate  and  even  to 
exceed  in  the  future  the  excellent 
record  which  Erasmus  Hall  had  made 
in  the  past. 

The  next  address  was  deliv- 
ered by  the  Rev.  J.  Howard 
Suydam,  D.D.,  of  Xew  Jersey, 
who  represented  the  sttidents 
of  the  Academy.  He  was  a 
Flatlands  boy  in  earlier  days, 
and  gave  reminiscences  con- 
nected with  his  school  days  in 
the  Academy. 

I  lived,  said  he,  in  New  Lots, 
when  a  very  small  boy,  and  I  recol- 
lect the  May  anniversaries  when  we 
had  to  meet   in   the   church   here.     I 


Mrs.  Robert  Grier  Strong  was 
a  pupil  of  Erasmus  Hall.  She  is 
closely  connected  with  the  insti- 
tution through  a  long  line  of  an- 
cestors. She  is  the  daughter  of 
Dr.  John  B.  Zabriskie,  the  grand- 
daughter of  Jeremiah  Lott,  the 
great  grand-daughter  of  Bateman 
Llo\d,  the  great  great  grand- 
daughter of  Jacob  Lefferts,  the 
sister  of  Dr.  J.  L.  Zabriskie  (de- 
ceased) and  the  aunt  of  Dr.  J.  B. 
Zabriskie,  Jr.,  all  of  whom  were 
Trustees  of  the  Academy.  As  Mr. 
Jacob  Lefferts  was  a  charter  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of 
the  Academy  and  Dr.  J.  B.  Za- 
briskie, Jr.,  was  elected  a  Trustee 
at  the  last  meeting  of  the  Board 
before  the  transfer  of  the  school 
property  to  the  city  of  Brooklyn, 
]\Irs.  Strong  is  a  connecting  fig- 
ure between  tlie  very  old  and  the 
very  new.  The  author  of  this 
part  of  the  Chronicles  desires  in 
this  place  to  acknowledge  his  in- 
debtedness to  Mrs  Strong  for  help, 
suggestions  and  material. 


See    p.    70. 


Cf)roniclc.0  of  o^raamus  l^all  SlcaDcmp  lu 

was  attending  the  district  school  at  New  Lots.  I  remember  that  I  used  to 
peep  through  the  fence  at  Erasmus  Hall  and  say  that  one  da}-  I  would  go  to 
school  there.  I  remember  that  when  Dr.  Zabriskie,  the  father  of  our  present 
friend,  brought  the  first  school  library  to  Flatlands,  I  read  through  every 
book  in  that  library.  When  I  came  to  Flatbush  to  school,  I  noted,  what  I  also 
noted  in  the  last  catalogue,  that  everybody  was  related  to  everybody  else.  I 
thought  Flatbush  was  the  most  beautiful  place  I  had  ever  seen,  and  a  good 
deal  of  that  feeling  lingers  with  me  yet.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Van  Kleek  was  then 
in  charge.  He  was  a  thorough-going  teacher,  going  to  the  roots  of  things. 
In  two  years  he  prepared  me  in  Latin  grammar  for  the  junior  class  in  college. 
We  used  to  pronounce  differently  in  those  days  from  what  they  do  now.  I 
think  there  ought  to  be  a  convention  to  settle  this  matter  of  Greek  and  Latin 
pronunciation  so  that  one  shall  not  say  "Cicero,"  and  another  "Kickero."  It 
is  a  very  great  trial  to  those  of  us  who  try  to  keep  up  with  the  times.  I  wish 
I  had  the  time  to  mention  some  of  the  boys  of  that  day.  They  are  a  good 
ways  from  boyhood  now.  They  are  scattered  all  over  the  world.  So  the 
influences  of  the  Academy  have  radiated  through  all  the  earth.  In  conclusion 
the  speaker  recommended  the  example  of       

Erasmus  as  a  tvpe  of  sound  scholarship 

,.      ,.       -^           1  Tr      1                  -  Mrs.       Gertrude      Lefferts 

and  polite  literature,  and  Vanderwort,  ot  Vaxderbilt   was   the   daughter 

Leyden,  as  an  example  of  the  man  who  of    John    Lefferts,    who    was    a 

would  not  vield  to   the   enemies   of  re-  Trustee  of  Erasmus  Hall  Acad- 

ligious    truth.      The    two   men,   he    said,  emy  from  1807  until  his  death 

,   J                      1         1  •  1      1-      u   u  in    1820;    the    wife    of    Judge 

presented   an   example   which   should  be  j^^^^     Vanderbilt,     a     Trustee 

emulated  by  Erasmus  Hall.  |    from    1841    to    1877,    and    the 

T-1       -n         T-^      T^-   11  .  1  mother  of  Lefferts  Vanderbilt, 

The  Rev.  Dr.  A\  ells  next  read  a        ^  Trustee  from  1878  to  1895. 

most   interesting   paper   prepared        She  was  a  pupil  under  Mr.  Kel- 

by  Mrs.  Vanderbilt,  of  Flatbush.        !°^^  ^"^k  °';,  Campbell      She 
-^   .  ^    ^  is  remembered  as  the  author  ot 

entitled  "Reminiscences  of  School         a  "Social  Historv  of  Flatbush." 


Days  at  Erasmus  Hall."     It  gave ^ 

the  old  school  from  the  coigne  of  vantage  of  the  girls'  school- 
room.    ]\Irs.  A'anderbilt  wrote  as  follows: 

With  all  the  congratulations  presented  on  this  pleasant  occasion,  we 
mothers  who  were  once  children  here  wish  also  to  add  our  greeting.  We  who 
have  sons  and  daughters  to  take  our  places  can  recall  many  pleasant  memories 
of  days  spent  at  school  in  Erasmus  Hall,  our  alma  mater  as  well  as  3'ours. 
Accepting  the  privilege  accorded  us,  we  would  add  our  quota  by  introducing 
the  social  element  in  the  form  of  some  reminiscences  of  the  girls'  school-room. 
Life  being  in  the  decline  with  us,  there  ma}-  be  a  sunset  glow  thrown  over 
these  memories  irradiating  them  with  brighter  colors  than  were  theirs  at  the 
dawn.  Some  of  us  here  present  to-night  (now  past  the  meridian  of  life)  may 
go  back  as  far  as  when  Mr.  Kellogg  entered  our  names  on  his  roll-book  as 
children  in  his  primary  department.  That  age  and  this  are  marked  with  differ- 
ences every  step  of  the  way,  and  the  changes  'twixt  now  and  then  challenge 
a  contrast  from  the  very  beginning,  for  those  were  the  days  of  quill  pens. 
Steel  pens  formed  no  part  of  our  school  outfit.  A  neat  bundle  of  goose  quills 
always  had  their  place  on  the  teacher's  desk.     .     .     .     He  (Mr.  Kellogg)  was 

8 


114 


€{)toniclc>6^  of  €ra^mu^  l^all  acaDemp 


always  pleasant  and  gentle,  ever  ready  with  his  sharp  penknife  to  mend  a 
sputtering  quill  or  to  accept  it  as  an  excuse  for  poor  penmanship  or  for  want 
of  neatness  in  a  copy-book.  In  those  days  we  walked  to  school  through  the 
rural  beauty  of  the  village  street,  sometimes  loitering  under  the  shade  trees, 
sometimes  hurrying  as  we  heard  the  tinkle  of  the  cowbell  as  the  herd  were 
driven  home  from  pasture  and  we  were  afraid  to  pass  some  dilatory  animal 
that  lingered  to  graze  on  the  sidewalk.  On  rainy  days  no  public  conveyance 
gave  us  the  facility  now  offered  to  reach  school  at  a  cost  of  five  cents.  Some 
accommodating  parent  harnessed  up  his  horses,  and  the  wagon  stopped  and 

took  in  all   the  neighbors'   children 
who  lived  on  the  way.     As  a  means 
of  heating  the  houses  furnaces  were 
then   unknown.     Our   school-rooms 
were  heated  by  cast-iron  stoves.   We 
can  recall  one  of  these  in  a  recita- 
tion room.     Curiously  enough  it  had 
an  oven  in  it  with  two  doors  open- 
ing out  on  either  side.     The  class 
sat  close  to  this  stove — half  on  one 
side    and   half   on   the   other.     The 
French  teacher  often  wondered  why 
the    covers    of   our    books    were    so 
scorched.     It   would   not  be  telling 
tales  out  of  school  at  this  late  hour 
to    explain    how    it    happened;     but 
perhaps  it  might  betray  to  this  gen- 
eration    the     stratagems     of     their 
grandparents  when  lessons  were  not 
properly  committed   to   memory,     I 
am    free    to     admit,    however,    that 
there  is  very  little  in  this  direction 
that  we  could  teach  the  children  of 
the  present  day.     .     .      .     The  boys 
had  a  yearly  exhibition,  and  on  that 
occasion  a  platform  was  erected  in 
front   of   the   pulpit    in   the   church. 
We     thought     our     brothers     and 
cousins  and  young  friends  who  spoke  upon  th;it  platform  as  clcxincnt  as  ever 
Webster  or  Clay  might  have  been.     We  expected  them  in  after  years  to  fill 
the  highest  places  of  honor  that  the  nation  could  bestow.     Nothing  less  than 
pubhc  recognition  from  the  Mississii)pi  to  the  Atlantic  Coast  was  considered 
to  be  their  just  due.     At  one  of  these  exhibitions  instead  of  selections  from 
the  celebrated  orators  and  poets  of  the  worhl,  tlic  l>oys  were  taught  to  take 
sides  in  a  discussion  on  the  character  of  Napoleon  Uonaparte.     .     .     .     Among 
our  teachers  we  recall  with  affectionate  respect    Dr.  Campbell.      We  look  up 
to  him,  however,  with  something  like  awe,  because  it  was  \vhisi)crc(l  among  us 
that  he  could  speak  in   Latin,  Greek  and   I~lel)rew  just  as  easily  as  he  could 
in    ICngJish.     We  also  recall    Professor   Mark    1  iopkins    Beecher,   who  among 


Dr.    Adrian    Vanderveer 


aEf)rDnicfc,0  of  ^ra-^mu^  l^all  3lcatiemp 


II 


other  things  taught  us  botany  and  took  his  class  out  in  the  woods  botanizing. 
As  on  these  occasions  we  begged  for  the  tin  cake  boxes  from  the  pantries  in 
which  to  collect  our  specimens  (and  carry  cake)  these  botanizing  excursions 
were  not  as  popular  with  our  parents  as  with  ourselves.  We  were  delighted 
with  the  tramp  through  the  woods  which  this  method  of  acquiring  knowledge 
afforded   us.     And  here   again   is   a   contrast  between  past   and   present,   for 

Flatbush  was  encircled  with  woods  then. 
Now,  chestnut,  oak  and  hickory  have  dis- 
appeared like  the  frailest  wild  flowers 
they  sheltered.  This  being  before  the 
days  of  sewing  machines,  one  afternoon 
in  the  week  we  were  taught  to  sew.     It 


Dr.  Homer  Lyman  Bartlett, 
Trustee  of  Erasmus  Hall  after 
October  8,  1870,  was  a  native 
of  Jericho,  Vermont.  Contrary 
to  his  father's  wish,  he  pur- 
sued the  study  of  medicine, 
graduating  from  the  College  of 
Physicians  and  Surgeons  in 
New  York  City.  Establishing 
himself  in  Flatbush.  in  1857. 
he  attended  to  an  extensive 
and  exacting  practice  from 
Brooklyn  to  the  sea.  Ever  fore- 
most in  promoting  improve- 
ments in  the  village,  he  was 
the  originator  of  the  Health 
and  Police  Boards,  and  super- 
intendent of  each  for  a  time ; 
a  leader  in  the  Gas  and  Water 
W^orks  companies  ;  prime  mover 
in  starting  the  Midwood  Club, 
becoming  its  first  President, 
and  a  supporter  of  every  worthy 
local  enterprise.  He  was  be- 
sides an  industrious  writer  and 
contributor  to  newspapers, 
medical  journals  and  other  pub- 
lications, and  was  considered 
an  authority  on  matters  per- 
taining to  the  history  of  Long 
Island,  having  collected  from 
original  sources,  facts  and  leg- 
ends, which  he  wove  into  story, 
romance  or  article.  Thus  Dr. 
Bartlett  was  a  many-sided  char- 
acter, broad-minded,  public- 
spirited,  tender-hearted,  witty 
and  humorous.  He  died  at 
Thomasville,  Georgia,  February 
3,  1905. 


is  a  good  thing  for  girls  to  learn.  I 
commend  it  to  teachers  of  the  present 
day.  In  order  to  combine  this  with  men- 
tal improvement  some  one  read  aloud 
to  us.  I  fear  we  did  not  appreciate  this 
surreptitious  method  of  hindering  us 
from  whispering  while  engaged  in  sew- 
ing. It  was  not  a  very  varied  menu  from 
which  our  minds  were  daily  fed.  The 
books  (which  3-ou  may  still  find  on  top 
shelves  of  old  closets)  are  a  little  anti- 
quated now.  The  geographies  did  not  tell 
us  much  of  the  country  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River,  and  our  maps  left  blank 
and  empty  spaces  where  now  there  are 
thriving  states  and  great  cities.  We 
studied  algebra  and  geometry,  rhetoric, 
Kames's  "Elements  of  Criticism,"  history, 
both  ancient  and  modern.  The  history 
of  the  United  States  scarcely  brought  us 
into  the  days  of  Martin  Van  Buren.  Just 
think  how  much  that  leaves  untold.  With 
many  sighs  and  tears  we  struggled  over 
the  writing  of  compositions.  We  do  not 
wonder  now  at  the  tears  when  we  re- 
member that  we  children  were  expected 
to  write  criticisms  on  Young's  "Night 
Thoughts,"  Pollock's  "Course  of  Time," 
or  Harvey's  "Meditations,"  with  now  and 
then  a  review  of  "Paradise  Lost." 
Erasmus  Hall  library  was  to  us  a  place  full  of  wonders,  for  besides  the 
books  there  were  glass  cases  filled  with  natural  curiosities,  bugs,  beetles  and 
lizards  preserved  in  alcohol;  weapons  from  the  Cannibal  Islands;  ornaments 
worn  1)\-  natives  of  the  South  Sea  Islands,  and  mineralogical  specimens  from 
the  far  West  of  Ohio  and  Illinois.  There  was  nothing  there  from  Japan, 
and  the  fact  marks  another  stride  forward  in  history,  for  where  now  do  you 
find  shelves  which  are  not  filled  with  curios  of  Japan?       There  were  also  in 


ii6 


Cftronide^  of  oJras^mUjG?  l^all  3lcaDcmp 


the  library,  glass  retorts  and  all  sorts  of  instruments  for  experiments  in 
chemistr}- — in  fact,  quite  a  laborator}-.  We  had  frequent  lectures  on  chemistry 
and  natural  philosophy  during  the  winter.  Brooklyn  and  Flatbush  were  widely 
separated  at  that  time  by  woods  and  muddy  roads,  and  the  absence  of  public 
conveyances,  so  that  it  was  difficult  to  attend  lectures  in  winter,  and  lectures 
were  held  in  high  estimation  then  as  a  valuable  means  of  instruction.  The 
wonders   shown  by  means   of  the  glass   cylinders   and   retorts   seemed   to   us 


children   like   nothing   short   of   necromancv 


We   sometimes    had 


Rev.  Dr.  John  Mason  Ferris 
was  born  in  Alban}^  New  York, 
January  17,  1825.  He  attended, 
in  turn,  the  Albany  Academy 
(1832-1835),  Forrest  and  Muf- 
ligan's  School,  New  York  City 
(1835),  ^rid  Columbia  Gram- 
mar School  (1836-1839).  He 
graduated  from  New  York 
University  in  1843,  and  in  1849, 
entered  the  Theological  Semi- 
nary at  New  Brunswick,   New 


Jersey, 


Soon     entering     the 


lectures  on  astronomy  illustrated  by  an 
orrery,  in  which  Jupiter  and  Saturn  and 
all  the  planets  in  their  turn  were  sus- 
pended from  the  ceiling  and  spun  around 
the  sun  in  a  ver\'  creditable  manner,  un- 
less, as  sometimes  happened,  some  moon 
got  a  little  refractory  and  accompanied 
the  wrong  planet,  or  Mars  got  in  undue 
haste  and  usurped  the  orbit  of  some 
other  world.  Had  the  great  solar  sys- 
tem acted  upon  the  same  erratic  prin- 
ciple, I  fear  that  to-day  we  should  not 
have  a  world  in  which  to  keep  the  cen- 
tennial of  Erasmus  Hall.  We  took 
books  weekly  out  of  the  library  and  read 
them  faithfully.  Owing  to  the  various 
chemicals  kept  in  that  room  the  books 
eventually  were  permeated  by  a  peculiar 
odor  which  became  associated  in  our 
minds  with  histories  and  biographies,  so 
that  when  about  this  time  a  teacher, 
giving  us  a  biographical  sketch  of  some 
old  worthy,  remarked  that  he  died  "in 
the  odor  of  sanctity,"  we  thought  that 
of  course  we  understood  perfectly  what 
was  meant  by  the  phrase.  The  old 
library  made  it  plain  to  us;  yes,  we 
knew.  Oh,  the  simplicity  of  little  chil- 
dren ! 

In  a  school  where  there  were  boys 
and  girls  studying  together  a  little  flirt- 
ing might  perhaps  be  expected,  but  it 
was  very  harmless  and  innocent,  and  we  all  know  of  some  happy  marriages  in 
which  the  acquaintance  began  in  the  companionship  in  the  school.  Beside 
secular  instruction,  our  religious  training  was  not  forgotten.  The  school  was 
opened  by  religious  exercises,  and  on  our  way  home  Thursday  afternoons  we 
were  gathered  in  the  old  consistory  rooms  to  repeat  our  catechism  to  our 
beloved  pastor,  Rev.  Dr.  Strong.  These  catechetical  exercises  were  considered 
as  important  as  other  studies,  and  we  were  reprimanded  if  we  failed  to  attend. 
While  we  admit  that  the  old  forms  of  instruction  have  been  superseded  by 
newer  and  better  methods,  yet  we  feel  that  the  minds  of  the  children  were 
less  taxed  ih.en,  and  there  was  a  slower  and  more  natural  unfolding  and  ripen- 


work  of  the  ministry,  he  served 
successively  as  pastor  of  Re- 
formed Churches  in  Tarrytown, 
New  York,  Chicago,  Illinois, 
and  Grand  Rapids,  Michigan. 
While  there  he  taught  in  what 
is  now  Hope  College,  at  Hol- 
land, Michigan.  In  the  fall  of 
1865,  he  was  elected  Corre- 
sponding Secretary  of  the 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of 
the  Reformed  Church  in  Amer- 
ica, and  while  in  this  position 
had  a  share  in  the  opening  of 
Japan  to  intercourse  with  the 
world,  and  in  providing  for  the 
education  of  Japanese  young 
men  in  the  United  States.  In 
1883,  he  became  editor  of  the 
Christian  Intelligencer,  a  posi- 
tion which  he  still  holds  with 
the  privilege  of  writing  when 
he  cliooses. 


€i)tomdt0  of  €ra^mu^  l^all  3lcaDemp 


117 


ing  of  the  faculties,  so  that  our  girls  seemed  to  retain  longer  the  sweetness  and 
simplicity  of  their  childhood.  When  we  look  upon  the  gray-haired  matrons 
who  are  here  among  the  happy  groups  of  their  children  to-night,  we  can 
scarcely  realize  that  these  are  they  to  whom  we  have  alluded  as  school-girls. 
So  the  swift  years  pass;  later  generations  have  come  to  maturity;  other 
children  have  taken  our  places ;  many  have  entered  upon  the  better  life.  We 
can  recall  bright  young  faces  to  whom  is  that  immortality  of  youth  which  is 
given  by  early  death.  We  who  w^ere  once  in  the  girls'  school-room  of  Erasmus 
Hall  are  glad  to  be  present  and  add  our  word  of  greeting  to-night.  We  rejoice 
that  our  sons  and  daughters  have  had  the  opportunities  which  this  school  has 
afforded.  We  want  them  to  be  good  and  useful  men  and  women.  Looking  at 
the  device  assumed  in  the  last  century,  and  placed  in  the  books  in  the  library, 
we  would  also  point  them  forward  and  onward,  saying  as  we  do  so,  "Fortiter! 
Ascende !" 

The  choir  sang  the  "Hallelujah  Chorus"  from  the  "Alount  of 
Olives,"  and  then  the  audience  joined  in  singing  the  "Doxology." 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Campbell  dismissed         

the    gathering   with    the    benedic-  Judge  John  Vanderbilt  was 

tion.      A  collation  followed  at  the         a    Trustee    of    Erasmus    Hall 
TT    11     ^1  1         r       1  •    1  from  1841  to  1877,  the  date  of 

Hall,   the   groimds   of  which   were         ^^.^    decease.      He    had    served 

perfectly  illuminated  with  Chinese         terms    as    County    Judge    and 
lanterns  '^  "^^  State  Senator,  and  had  been 

nominated  for  Lieutenant-Gov- 
The   career   of  Air.    Strong  con-         ernor.    Though  for  many  years 

tinned  at  the  Academv  for  neariv  P"^^  to  his  death  he  had  been 

^                          .             1  •    '  •                .    ■"  an  mvalid,  m  the     fifties,     "he 

hve   years   alter    this     interesting  was    easily    the    most    popular 

celebration.       The    success    of    his  and  one  of  the  most  consider- 

11                          1                       111  sble  men  at  this  end  of  the  Em- 

labors    may    be    gauged    by    t  h  e  pire    State.''  —  The    Brooklyn 

income,    which,    after    paying    his        Eagle.  | 

assistants,   ranged   annually   from 

$1,700  to  $2,320.  In  these  last  years  of  ]Mr.  Strong's  administra- 
tion the  subject  of  physical  training,  as  w'ell  as  intellectual,  was 
attracting  the  attention  of  educators.  The  pupils  of  Erasmus 
Hall  at  once  showed  their  interest  in  this  matter.  On  February 
9,  1889,  the  male  pupils  of  the  Academy  sent  a  communication  to 
the  Board  of  Trustees  asking  for  an  appropriation  for  the  pur- 
chase of  apparatus  for  use  of  the  gymnasium  class.  The  Trustees 
appropriated  $50,  provided  the  Principal  approved  of  the  matter. 
So  the  work  continued  until  the  spring  of  1892,  when,  after 
a  brief  illness,  death  closed  the  career  of  Mr.  Strong,  one  of 
the  most  beloved  of  the  Principals  of  the  Academy.  To  the  work 
of  instructing  the  young  he  had  brought  the  conscientious  and 
faithful  endeavor  that  had  ever  characterized  him.     As  a  teacher 


*  Largely  quoted  from  The  Brooklyn  Eagle. 


ii8  €f)ronicIe>5  of  aErasfmus  l^all  aicatiemp 

he  aimed  at  the  full  development  of  the  scholar.  He  won  the 
confidence,  the  esteem,  the  affection  of  those  he  taught ;  his 
moral  influence  was  of  the  highest  order.  Such  forces  perpetuate 
themselves  and  live  in  other  lives.  The  success  of  the  institution 
was  as  great  as  could  reasonably  have  been  expected  under  the 
circumstances.'^'  The  ^Minutes  of  the  Trusteest  contain  the  impres- 
sions of  the  members  of  the  Board  regarding  the  Principal  and 
his  w^ork  : 

"The  Board  laments  the  loss  of  the  Rev.  Robert  Grier  Strong, 
who  entered  into  rest  on  April  22d,  after  a  wasting  illness 
patiently  endured  through  a  large  part  of  the  present  school  year. 
He  was  a  graduate  from  the  Academy,  having  received  here  his 
entire  education  previous  to  entering  college.  For  the  past  eight 
years  he  has  been  Principal  of  this 

.  ^j  ,r  Academv,   in   wdiich    position    he 

Adrian     Vanderveer     Mar-  •"  ^ 

TENSE,  son  of  Jacob  Van  Brunt        has  rendered  faithful  and  efficient 
Martense    and    Eliza    Vander-  service.     As  the  only  pastorate  of 

veer    Martense,    and    grandson  at        c^  ..        4_    x- 

r !-»     \j  ■      \r     1  ^\ii*-    otrono-   was     spent     at    New 

of  Dr.  Adrian  Vanderveer,  sue-  ^  i 

ceeded  his  father  as  Trustee  of         Baltimore,   in   this   State,   the   ma- 
Erasmus  Hall  on  February  ii,        jority    of    the    members    of    this 

1882.     He  prepared  for  college         RoarH    have    been     his     associates 
at  the  Academy.    After  grad-         J^oara   nave    Deen    nis    associates 

uating   from  Rutgers  and   Co-  through   life,   and   having  an  inti- 

lumbia   Law   School,   he   prac-  i-j-j^te  knowledge  of  his  character 
ticed  his  profession   in  Brook-  ,  1         1       1  ^     ^- 

lyn  until  his  death,  which  oc-  ^nd  career,  hereby  bear  testimony 

curred  in  January,  1S9S.— Mrs.    1      to  the  integrity  of  his  life,  his  con- 
Elisa  A.  Martense.  j     scientious   and    faithful   discharge 

of  the  duties,  of  the  relation  he 
has  sustained  as  a  man,  a  citizen,  a  Christian,  a  minister  of  the 
gospel,  and  as  a  teacher.  His  life  has  been  a  devoted  and  a 
useful  one. 

''During  the  years  of  his  principalship,  service  of  high  value  to 
the  comnnmity  has  been  rendered.  ]\Lin\-  of  those  who  have  been 
under  his  instruction  will  hold  him  in  affectionate  remembrance." 


(Erafiimug  J^all  tC^ransiferreb, 
1802=1896 

After  Mr.  Strong's  decease,  Erasmus  Flail  Academy  lapsed 
into  a  ])criod  of  decline.  His  immediate  successor  was  Dr.  R. 
Arrowsmith,   a   graduate   of   Columbia,   and   a   post-graduate  of 


I'uncrnl  orritinn  !)>•  Dr.  Wells.  t  May  7,   1802. 


€l^tonxdt^  of  €r:a^mu^  l^all  acatiemp 


119 


Hon.  John  A.  Lott,  who 
died  July  20,  1878,  had  been 
a  Trustee  of  Erasmus  Hall  al- 
most fifty  years.  He  was  Treas- 
urer of  the  Board  from  1850 
until  his  death.  "He  came  to 
this  school  the  son  of  a  re- 
spectable farmer.  He  closed 
his  long  and  distinguished  pub- 
lic life  as  the  Chief  Commis- 
sioner of  Appeals  of  this  State, 
one  of  the  highest  and  most 
responsible  judicial  positions  in 
the  country.  ...  By  his  death, 
this  Board  has  lost  an  invalu- 
able counsellor  and  officer ;  the 
Academy,  a  most  active  and 
devoted  friend,  and  this  town, 
its  most  eminent  citizen." — 
Minutes  of  Trustees. 


Berlin  University,  Germany.  The  following  letter  to  Dr.  W.  B. 
Gunnison,  the  present  Principal  of  Erasmus  Hall,  embodies  the 
experiences  of  Dr.  Arrowsmith  :         

Dear  Dr.  Gunnison  :  The  year  1892- 
1893  was  so  uneventful  in  the  old  Acad- 
emy that  I  fear  I  can  contribute  little  of 
interest  to  the  history  of  the  school. 
Perhaps  the  most  significant  feature  was 
the  final  severance  of  Church  and  State 
effected  b}-  the  appointment  of  a  lay 
Principal,  all  the  long  list  of  my  prede- 
cessors for  one  hundred  and  five  years 
having  been  clergymen.*  The  year  also 
offered  a  fresh  proof  of  the  inadvisability 
of  attempting  to  put  new  wine  into  old 
bottles,  and  marked  the  end  of  the  old 
Academy  system,  at  the  same  time  indi- 
cating very  clearly  the  only  possible  lines 
of  future  development  which  the  school 
has  since  then  so  successfully  followed. 
In  1892  the  Academy  became  demor- 
alized, for  the  death  of  Mr.  Strong  had  weakened  the  ties  of  personal  and 
Church  loyalty  to  the  Academy;  a  new  population,  to  whom  the  traditions 
of  the  school  meant  nothing,  was  rapidly  taking  the  place  of  the  old  families; 
while  the  growth  of  the  public  schools  had  to  a  large  extent  left  no  place  for 
the  type  of  education  which  the  Academy  had  provided  for  so  many  years. 
It  was  evident  that  the  character  of  the  school  must  be  radically  changed 

if  the  Academy  was  to  continue.  Ac- 
cordingly, courses  of  modern  character 
were  laid  out,  trained  teachers  were  en- 
gaged, provision  was  made  for  pupils 
from  the  primary  grade  to  college  pre- 
paratory students,  and  plans  were  formed 
for  extending  in  various  directions.  The 
cost  of  such  equipment,  however,  made 
a  substantial  increase  in  the  tuition  fee 
essential,  and  this  proved  to  be  the  rock 
on  which  the  future  of  the  school  as  a 
private  institution  was  shipwrecked. 
Between  the  memory  of  the  very  low 
tuition  of  the  past,  and  the  advantages 
offered  without  cost  by  the  public 
schools,  it  was  found  impossible  to  col- 
lect more  than  about  twenty-five  pupils, 
a  patronage  which  of  course  did  not  even 
meet  the  running  expenses — and  at  the  end  of  an  otherwise  pleasant  year,  the 
experiment   was  regretfully   abandoned. 


Dr.  Cornelius  Low  Wells 
was  almost  the  immediate  suc- 
cessor of  Dr.  Strong  as  pastor 
of  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church 
of  Flatbush.  A  native  of  New 
Brunswick,  New  Jersey,  he 
graduated,  in  turn,  from  Rut- 
gers and  from  the  Theological 
Seminary.  To  crown  his 
scholastic  life,  his  Alma  Mater, 
in  1878,  conferred  on  him  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Divinity. 
While  at  Rutgers  and  at  the 
Seminary,  he  studied  under  Dr. 
Campbell,  once  Principal  of 
Erasmus  Hall.  Dr.  Wells  died 
on  December  12,  1904,  in  the 
seventy-second  year  of  his  age. 


This  statement  may  mislead.     Both  Dr.   Wilson  and  Mr.  Kellogg  were  laymen. 


120 


Cf^ronicle^  of  aKra^mu^  l^all  3(.catiemp 


The  main  building  was  in  use  as  a  private  boarding  house,  and,  as  only 
day  pupils  appeared,  the  arrangement  was  continued,  the  three  old-fashioned 
school-rooms  affording  plenty  of  space  for  the  small  body  of  students.  The 
present  office  was  the  parlor,  connecting  with  the  dining  room.  All  the  rest 
of  the  house  was  given  up  to  private  apartments,  of  which  the  Principal  shared 
the  huge  southwest  corner  room  on  the  second  story  with  a  regiment  of  very 
active  rats  of  nocturnal  habits.  The  focus  of  the  Academy  then  as  now  was 
the  unique  mantelpiece  now  in  the  Principal's  office,  but  at  that  time  in  Mr. 
Lett's  room  on  the  second  floor ;   and  it  is  still  a  source  of  regret  to  the  former 


Rev.  Thomas  M.  Strong^  D.D. 

(See   p.    99.) 


Principal  that  his  many  plans  for  securing  possession  of  the  ancient  relic  were 
not  put  into  effect.  The  old  library,  too,  with  its  antique  volumes,  distinguished 
chiefly  for  their  utter  uselessness  except  as  historical  monuments;  the  curious 
collection  of  educational  apparatus  and  scientific  appliances  were  never  failing- 
sources  of  enjoyment,  though  only,  I  fear,  to  the  instructors.  Of  modern 
equipment  there  was  nothing;  yet  the  year  was  full  of  interest  to  the  teach- 
ing force,  and,  I  trust,  to  the  pupils  also,  since  the  small  classes  made  possible 
very  close  relations  between  teacher  and  student  and  a  personal  interest  in 
individuals  which  the  large  numbers  of  to-day  do  not  permit. 

The  contact  with  the  past,  also,  in  the  fine  old  building  with  its  splendid 
setting  of  lawn  and  great  trees,  was  not  without  its  moral  effect.     Something 


€1jmnitlt^  of  oEra^mu^  i$M  3lcatiemp  121 

of  the  old  academic  atmosphere  was  still  there  and  made  itself  felt ; — but  the 
Academy  had  served  its  purpose  to  many  generations,  and  it  was  time  for  it 
to  come  under  the  new  order  of  things,  and  begin  a  larger  though  perhaps  not 
more  important  influence,  than  that  which  old  Erasmus  Hall  had  exerted  on 
its  day  and  generation. 

Very  truly  yours, 

R.  Arrows M IT H, 
January  25,  1906.  100  Washington  Square,  New  York. 

Dr.  Arrowsmith  was  succeeded  by  Miss  Mary  Wheeler  Haw- 
ley,  a  graduate  of  Van  Wagenen's  Training  School,  New  York 
City,  who  served  as  Principal  from  March  3,  1893,  to  July,  1896. 
Among  her  teachers  was  Mr.  Allen 


T  V    T  .1  B.   Dog^p^ett,   of  the   Roval  Acad- 

JOHN    Z.    LoTT^    the    present  '^^ 

Secretary    of    the    Board    of  ^'^^Y'  Munich,  who  still  retains  his 

Trustees,  was  born  in  Flatbush,  connection    with    the    school.      In 

July  II,  1838.  He  was  prepared  1893   there   were    one    male    and 

for  Union  College  at  Erasmus  three  female  teachers  in  the  school. 

Hall.      After     completing    his  j^^    ^g         ^^^     number   of     female 
course    at    Union,    m    1857,    he  ,  ,      ,  .  1  •        ^1 

,  ^,    T       c  1      1    ^  XT  teachers  had  increased  to  six.    ihe 
entered  the  Law  School  of  New 

York    University,    from    which  '  school  was  in  this  condition  when 

he  graduated  in   i860.     He  is  ,  the  plan  of  transferring  it  to  the 

now  the  President  of  the  Flat-  i  City     of     Brooklyn     was     consum- 

bush  Trust  Company.  mated 

When  Flatbush  became  a  part 
of  Brooklyn,  Erasmus  Hall  Academy  was  found  to  be  ahnost 
in  the  geographical  center  of  the  city.  Then  came  the  trolley  cars 
bringing  scores  of  new  people  who  were  searching  for  homes. 
The  old  farms  were  sold  to  stirring  real  estate  men;  they  were 
transformed  into  city  lots;  beautiful  dwellings  of  a  newer  type 
supplanted  the  old  Dutch  houses;  the  old  town  could  not  main- 
tain her  staidness.  Flatbush  awakened  one  spring  to  find  that 
she  was  a  real  live  suburb  of  a  very  live  city. 

Dr.  John  L.  Zabriskie,  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
of  Erasmus  Hall,  soon  after  the  incorporation  of  Flatbush  into 
the  larger  city,  became  a  member  of  the  Brooklyn  Board  of  Edu- 
cation. The  old  academy  was  not  as  flourishing  as  it  had  been ; 
in  fact,  it  had  become  little  more  than  a  boarding  house  and  a 
kindergarten.  The  young  people  of  the  community  were  search- 
ing the  greater  city  for  suitable  schools.  Then  it  occurred  to 
several  members  of  the  Erasmus  Hall  Trustees  that  the  cele- 
brated school  would  take  on  new  life  if  the  public  were  made  its 
guardian. 


122 


CJ^ronicIe]^  of  (Cras^mu^  i^all  2lcaDemp 


The  subject  must  have  been  a  very  deHcate  one  for  the  Trus- 
tees to  handle.  The  old  Hall  had  endeared  itself  to  every  man, 
woman  and  child  in  the  village  of  Flatbush.  Every  member  of 
the  old  families  had  spent  his  school  days  within  its  sacred  walls. 
There  was  the  accumulated  sentiment  of  more  than  a  century 
surrounding  the  institution.  To  many  the  plan  of  turning  the 
school  over  to  the  unfeeling  care  of  a  cold  and  unsentimental 
public  bordered  on  sacrilege.  The  Trustees,  no  doubt,  fully 
realized  just  what  opposition  there  would  be  to  even  the  sugges- 
tion of  plans  for  the  transfer,  yet  they  had  the  courage  to  stand 
by  their  convictions  and  to  act  for  the  good  of  the  school.  The 
movement,  indeed,  was  fostered  and  supported  by  the  leading  mem- 
bers of  the  families  who  had  always  given  their  earnest  support  to 
the  Academy.  On  the  20th  of  June,  1895,  ]\Ir.  John  Z.  Lott  ofifered 
to  the  Trustees  the  following  resolution,  which  was  unanimously 
adopted  on  condition  that  the  consent  of  the  Consistory  of  the 
Reformed  Dutch  Church  of  Flatbush  could  be  obtained  : 

''Resolved,  That  it  is  the  opinion  of  the  Board  that  it  is  for  the 
interest  of  the  Academv  and  of  the 
Twenty-ninth   Ward   of   the   City 
of  Brooklyn  that  the  Academy 
should  be  placed  under  the 
care  of  the  Board  of  Edu- 
cation   of    the    City    of 
Brooklyn. 

''Therefore,     resolved. 
That  the  Board  offer  the 
grounds  of  the  x\cademy 
to  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion    of     the     City     of 
Brooklyn   upon   the   fol- 
lowing  conditions,    viz. : 
In   consideration   of  the 
gift     of     the     land     the 
Board  of  Education  are 
to  erect  and  maintain  upon 
said     land     a    High     Schoc 
Building  of  the  same  chare 
and   grade   as  oilier    High   School 
Buildings  in  the  City  of  Brooklyn."  John  Lkffkkts 


Cl)roiucIc,i^  of  oEra.^mu^  i$M  aicaDemp 


123 


John  Z.  Lott,  Henry  Sherrill  and  Dr.  Homer  L.  Bartlett  were 
appointed  a  committee  to  present  the  matter  to  the  Board  of 
Education/'' 

The  resolution  came  before  the  City  Board  on  July  loth.  A 
committee  consisting  of  Messrs.  AVeir,  McNulty  and  Zabriskie 
was  created  to  investigate  the  matter.  Dr.  Zabriskie  was  soon 
removed  by  death,  and 
]\Ir.  Richard  Young 
was  appointed  to  his 
place  on  the  commit- 
tee. This  appointment 
was  made  November 
12,  1895.  Almost  the 
first  official  duty  of 
j\Ir.  Young  was  a  con- 
ference with  the  Trus- 
tees of  Erasnnis  Hall. 
He  was  present  at  a 
meeting  of  that  Board 
on  December  28,  1895. 
It  was  reported  by  the 
committee  that  the 
Board  of  Education  had 
accepted  the  offer  of  the 
Trustees.  It  was  agreed 
that  the  ofifer  should  in- 
clude library,  equip- 
ment and  endowment. 
It  was  indeed  a  generous  gift.  Yet,  probably,  even  the  recipients 
did  not  realize  to  the  full  extent  the  true  value  of  the  property 
received,  when  at  a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Education  of  the 
City  of  Brooklyn,  held  December  3,  1895,  the  following  resolu- 
tion was  adopted  :t 

''Resolved,  That  this  Board  does  hereby  determine  and  decide 
to  accept  the  gift  of  Erasmus  Hall  and  grounds  in  the  Twenty- 
ninth  Ward,  and  to  establish  and  maintain  a  high  school  thereon 
in  accordance  with  the  stipulations  contained  in  the  proposition 
of  the  Trustees  thereof,  dated  July  10,  1895,  and  the  Corporation 
Counsel  is  hereby  requested  to  prepare  the  necessary  papers  to  vest 


Rev.  Cornelius  L.  Wells,  D.D. 


Minutes,  June  20,   1895. 


t  See  ]\rinutes  of  the  Board  of  Education,    1895. 


124 


Ct^ronick^  of  oErasfmu^  l^all  acatiemp 


the   title   of   said   buildino^s   and 


grounds  in  the  Board 
Education  of  the  City  of 
Brooklyn.'"^ 

By  this  gift  a  piece  of 
property  vahied  at  $150,- 
000,  including  $4,634.12 
cash,  the  amount  of  the 
reserve  fund  of  Eras- 
mus Hall  at  that  time, 
and  library  of  2,000  vol- 
umes, came  into  posses- 
sion of  the  city.  With 
beautiful  grounds,  a 
substantial  old  building, 
a  fair  school  library  and 
certain  school  appara- 
tus,  Brooklyn  thus   re- 


AbrAHAM   I.   DiTMAS 

ceived  the  penny  savings 
of  a  century  on  the  part 
of  one  of  the  most  con- 
scientious groups  o  f 
men  who  were  ever  en- 
trusted with  a  public 
responsibility.  The 
deed,  dated  July  28, 
1896,  was  delivered  to 
the  Board  of  lulucation 
on  the  24lh  of  August. 
On  the  14th  of  Sc])tem- 
l)er,  simultaneous  with 
the  opening  of  the  other 
schools,  iM'asnius  llall 
was  opened  as  a  city 
high  school. 


1)k.  John  L.  Zahkiskh-: 

*  Ivfcords  of  till'    r.oard  of    I'Mucation.  Cily  of  Brooklyn,  ])cccinl)cr  .3,    1895 


Cf)rDnicIc.s  of  Erasmus  l^all  3lcaDcmp 


12  = 


Only  one  or  two  more  items  belong  to  this  chapter  of  the 
history  of  Erasmus  Hall.  To  make  the  transfer  complete,  the 
Regents  must  act ;  so  on  June  28,  1897,  on  the  unanimous  request 
of  the  Board  of  Education  of  the  City  of  Brooklyn,  the  Regents 
voted,  "That  the  transfer  of  Erasmus  Hall  Academy  to  the  city 
for  use  as  a  high  school  be  approved  and  that  the  school  be  con- 
tinued on  the  University  roll  under  the  name  of  Erasmus  Hall 
High  School.'"'''     The  institution  thus  remains  a  Regents'  school. 

Although  the  prop- 
erty and  the  trust  had 
been  transferred  to 
the  City  of  Brooklyn, 
the  corporation  had 
not  ceased  to  exist.  In 
fact,  there  is  to-day  a 
corporation  known  as 
the  "Trustees  of  Eras- 
mus Hall  in  Kings 
County,  Xew  York." 
The  members  of  this 
corporation  meet  a  t 
least  once  a  year  for 
the  transaction  of  busi- 
ness. The  President 
of  this  organization  is 
the  Rev.  John  ]\Iason 
Ferris,  D.D.,  who,  over 
eighty-one  years  o  f 
age,  has  served  in  that 
office  since  1878.  His 
career  has  been  an 
active  one.  The  Secretary  is  Mr.  John  Z.  Lott,  who  succeeded 
Dr.  J.  L.  Zabriskie  to  that  position  in  1895. 

A  word  from  the  venerable  Dr.  Ferris  at  this  point  may  not 
be  unfitting.  In  a  communication  dated  Bedford  Avenue,  Brook- 
lyn, January  25,  1906,  he  says  : 

My  earliest  recollection  of  Erasmus  Hall  Academy  goes  back  to  about  the 
year  1845,  when  I  spent  a  part  of  a  vacation  with  Pascal  Strong,  a  fellow- 
student  in  the  Theological  Seminary  at  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  at  the  parson- 
age of  the  Rev.  Dr.   Strong,  adjoining  the  grounds  of  the  Academy.     After 


Rev.  John  ^M.  Ferris,  D.D. 


*  Extract   from  Regents'   Minutes. 


126 


Cf^roniclcs?  of  aSraamui^  l^all  aicaDemp 


Adrian  V.  Marten se 


various  introductior.s  on  taking  a  seat  by  a 
window,  I  saw  a  young  Spaniard  walking  about 
the  grounds  of  the  Academy,  and  expressing 
surprise  on  seeing  such  a  person,  was  told  that 
the  Academy  had  students  from  the  West 
Indies,  and,  as  I  recollect  now,  even  from 
South  America,  and  had  received  such  pupils 
for  some  years.  In  the  course  of  the  conversa- 
tion mention  was  made  of  students  from  the 
Southern  States,  especially  from  South  Caro- 
lina. Proof  was  given  that  even  so  long  ago 
as  sixty  years  or  more  the  Academy  had  a  re- 
markable reputation  in  the  States  along  the 
Atlantic  from  New  York  southward. 

These   facts   recited   at   various  times   from 
day    to    day    were    very    impressive,    especially 

when  one  learned  that  the  village  was  a  rural  community,  the  houses  being  the 
residences  chiefl}- — almost  wholly — of  farmers.  And  the  town  was  in  a  degree 
secluded,  for  it  was  reached  by  an  ordinary  country  road  extending  from  the 
triangle  on  which  the  City  Hall  now  stands,  to  the  long  line  of  farm-houses. 
Going  as  I  did  from  the  stage  plying  from  the  boats  of  the  Catharine  Street 
Ferry  from  New  York,  the  stage  ride  consumed  a  full  hour. 

That  was  not  all.  Wandering  about  the  grounds  I  found  a  funnel,  almost 
buried  in  the  soil,  and  this  was  to  catch  the  rain  and  convey  it  into  a  bottle 
below.  Inquiry  brought  out  the  fact  that  the  Academy  was  keeping  a  weather 
record  for  the  State  agricultural  office  in  Albany. 

These  and  other  facts  furnished  abundant  proof  that  Erasmus  Hall 
Academy,  secluded  as  it  was,  was  one  of  the  leading  and  most  useful  educa- 
tional centers  in  the  State.  It  had  no  equal  in  Brooklyn  and  no  superior  in 
the  State.  This  high  rank  was  maintained  through  rather  more  than  half  a 
century. 

The  time  came,  however,  when  there  was  a  Polytechnic,  a  Packer  Institute, 

and  a  Dr.  West's  School  in  Brooklyn.  They 
had  attractive  buildings  and  abundant  appara- 
tus, and  were  almost  on  the  line  of  the  surface 
railroad,  and  they  drew  the  young  people,  and 
Erasmus  Hall  suffered,  and  that  more  and 
more  as  the  years  passed  away.  The  time 
came,  about  ten  years  ago,  when  the  question 
before  the  Trustees  was,  what  shall  we  do  for 
the  school  ? 

The  man  was  present  who  was  equal  to  the 
occasion.  He  said.  "Give  it  to  the  city — the 
grounds  and  the  building,  with  the  small  fund 
in  the  treasury,  to  make  a  high  school  of  it." 
That  man  was  John  Z.  Lott.  Esq.  11  is  advice 
was  accepted. 
Jeremiah  Lott  The  building  has  been  enlarged,  adjoining 


Cl)ronicIe>5  of  oEra^mu^  i^all  3lcatiemp 


127 


Dr.  Homer  L.  Bartlett 


buildings  have  been  occupied,  a 
fine  stretch  of  land  from  Flat- 
bush  Avenue  to  Bedford  Avenue 
has  been  acquired,  and  over 
two  thousand  scholars  are  under 
instruction.  They  come  from 
all  parts  of  the  city,  are  enthu- 
siastic advocates  of  Erasmus  Hall, 
have  a  noble  band  of  teachers,  and 
an  accomplished  and  devoted 
Principal. 

What  next?  Why,  a  college,  or 
university.  There  is  land  enough 
and  room  for  a  university.  The 
building  now  in  hand  and  soon 
to  be  completed  in  part,  will  af- 
ford room  for  the  beginning  of 
a   college  or  university. 

The  position  is  central.  Look 
at  the  skeleton  map  of  the  city  on 
the  eighty-hrst  page  of  the  Brook- 
lyn Eagle  Almanac  of  last  year  or 
this  year.  It  show^s  that  the  cen- 
tral point  in  the  city  is  the  south 
side     of     Prospect     Park.       The 

Academy  is  only  a  block  or  two  farther  south.  The  location  is  accessible  by 
trolleys  and  transfers.  All  the  street  railways  in  Brooklyn  wish  to  carry 
people  to  Coney  Island  and  therefore  have  a  system  of  transfers,  which  will 
carry  passengers  to  the  door  of  Erasmus  Hall.  The  adjacent  territory  is 
rapidly  being  covered  with  buildings.  At  Bergen  Beach,  to  which  our  young 
athletes  can  easily  walk,  arrangements  can  be  made  for  aquatic  sports  in  still 
water.  The  grounds  at  Prospect  Park  afford  ball  grounds  and  space  for  foot- 
ball practice.     The  position  of  Erasmus  Hall  is  central. 

John  ^^Iasox   Ferris. 

These  are  the  words  of  hope  and  of  prophecy  of  the  latest 
President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees.  If  his  view  into  the  future 
were  to  prove  true,  the  last  years  of  Erasmus  Hall  may  be  made 
more  glorious  than  those  of  the  period  when  she  stood  foremost 
among-  the  secondary  schools  of  the  coiuitry. 

A  hundred  and  ten  years  had  passed  between  the  founding  of 
the  Hall  and  its  transformation  into  a  city  high  school.  It  was  a 
century  of  many  changes.  Flatbush  had  passed  from  the  niost 
considerable  village  in  Kings  County  to  a  quiet  rural  hamlet 
obscured  by  the  shadow  of  her  greater  neighbor,  Brooklyn.  After 
all  has  been  said,  this  village  seems  to  have  been  an  ideal  place 
for  an  Academy. 


128 


€f)ronicIei6?  of  €ra,i^mu.i6^  i^all  Slcaticmp 


John  H.  Ditmas 


Another  remarkable  feature  of  the  hfe 
of  the  Hall  was  the  good  fortune  of  the 
Trustees  in  securing  the  services  of  cele- 
brated teachers.  The  principals  were 
almost  invariably  men  of  note.  They 
were  strong  men.  Indeed,  among  the 
great  men  of  the  Reformed  Dutch  Church 
none  were  greater  than  Dr.  Livingston 
and  Dr.  Wilson,  Dr.  Campbell  and  Dr. 
\^an  Kleek,  while  the  Rev.  Robert  Grier 
Strong  was  fully  their  equal  in  many 
respects.  The  influence  these  men  exerted, 
through  the  youth  who  attended  the  school, 
left  its  impress  upon  nearly  every  one  of 
the  original  States.  And  no  one  in  the  decades  still  to  come  can 
calculate  the  extent  of  that  influence. 

The  Trustees,  also,  were  sturdy  men  of  strong  character  and 
steadfastness  of  purpose.  It  w^as  an  immense  undertaking  for 
them,  so  soon  after  the  close  of  the  great  struggle  for  freedom, 
to  launch  such  an  enterprise  as  that  of  building  a  school.  They 
willingly,  however,  spent  their  time  and  their  savings  in  a  cause 
which,  they  knew,  would  never  yield  a  money  return  on  the 
capital  invested.  Year  after  year,  decade  after  decade,  genera- 
tion after  generation,  they  stood  firmly  behind  the  enterprise,  and 
the  school  as  well  as  the  community  partook  of  the  sturdiness  of 
those  who  had  the  supervision  of  its  interests.  Another  example 
of  such  unselfish  faithfulness,  through  more  than  a  century,  to 
a  cause  of  like  nature,  will  be  difficult  to] 
find. 

With  the  transfer  of  Erasmus  Hall  to 
the  City  of  Brooklyn,  the  Chronicles  of 
the  Academy  must  end.  The  old  institu- 
tion did  its  work  well  and  fulfilled  its 
mission  to  the  immediate  pu1)Hc  and  to 
the  country  at  large.  It  stands  alone 
among  the  schools  of  tlie  State  as  a  rep- 
resentative of  the  old  and  of  the  new.  It 
is  the  outgrowth  of  the  educational  ideals 
of  the  State;  its  mission  was  to  test  these 
ideals  from  the  practical  point  of  \ie\v.  It 
has  seen  the  day  of  the  quill  pen  and  that  John  Z.  Lott 


C{)rDnicIefif  of  oErai^mu^  \$aU  9lcaDemp 


129 


of  the  typewriter,  the  day  of  pounds  and  shillings  and  that  of  the 
dollar,  the  day  of  "accomplished  education"  and  that  of  manual 
training,  the  day  of  "general  training"  and  that  of  State  militia, 
the  day  of  mixed  classes  and  that  of  graded.  The  way  has  often 
been  a  perilous  one.     It  might  have  suffered  wTeck  on  imprac- 

ticable     fads,   yet   it   has     steered 

safely  through  the  maelstrom  of 
educational  processes  to  a  harbor 
of  safety  in  the  public  school  sys- 
tem. There  have  been  periods  of 
doubt  and  depression,  but  there 
have  been  loyal  hearts  and  per- 
severing minds  at  the  helm.  The  anchor  has  been  cast  and  the 
craft  has  been  safely  moored.  It  alone  of  the  old  schools  has  sur- 
vived, and,  it  is  believed,  in  its  new  career  as  a  city  high  school, 
Erasmus  Hall  will  be  a  leader  in  rendering  practical  the  new 
ideals  of  the  centuries  to  come. 


Mrs.  M.  S.  Jepson  occupied 
the  living  rooms  of  Erasmus 
Hall  from  1888  to  1896.  Here 
Mrs.  Jepson's  granddaughter, 
Clara  Crosby,  was  born  on 
July  6,  1895.  Both  are  still  liv- 
ing in  Flatbush. 


132 


C|)ronicles 


of 


Crasmus  i|all  Higl)  ^c|)ool 


1896^1906 


b? 


Cugenc  1^.  J^arter,  iH.  ^. 


133 


€l)e  l^etD  fiegime 

/ywp^HE  summer  of  1896  must  have  been  a  trying  one  for  the 
LIL  dignity  and  self  respect  of  old  Erasmus  Hall.  In  her  old 
age  she  was  to  lose  all  the  perquisites  of  dignified  vener- 
abilitv.  She  was  even  in  a  measure  to  lose  her  caste,  for  from  her 
proud  position  of  an  aristocratic  academy  she  was  to  become,  at 
the  age  of  one  hundred  and  ten,  a  public  servant.  To  be  sure, 
reverses  had  come  to  her  in  her  latter  years,  but  nothing  that  was 
incompatible  with  a  stately  sort  of  gentility.     Certainly  poverty 


Erasmus  Hall  in   1896 


was  almost  a  badge  of  true  worth  in  the  degenerate  days  that  had 
come  upon  her.  Now,  all  was  to  be  changed.  She  must  deck 
herself  in  a  kind  of  smartness  which  could  not  conceal  her  infirm- 
ities. She  must  even  try  in  a  forlorn  fashion  to  assume  a  look  of 
youth  for  her  new  admirers.  She  must  paint  and  powder :  try  to 
heighten  her  charms  by  patches,  and  put  on  a  sprightly  air.  Her 
jewels  must  be  burnished  and  reset,  especially  that  chief  pride 
of  hers,  the  famous  old  mantelpiece.  It  all  seemed  so  entirely 
opposed  to  her  old  Dutch  phlegm  and  dignified  repose. 

135 


136  Cf)roniclc.s  of  aSra>5mu.0  l^all  i^iglj  :&cIjooI 

She  might  have  been  a  Httle  astonished  if  she  had  been  told 
that  soon  she  was  not  only  to  endure  her  transformation  with 
equanimity  but  was  even  to  glory  in  the  mad  rush  of  new  life 
that  was  destined  to  brighten  her  ancient  walls.  To  be  sure  she 
might  not  feel  the  same  sort  of  pride  that  she  had  experienced  in 
the  olden  time,  when  from  her  portals  had  gone  out  men  destined 
to  play  a  creditable  and  even  famous  part  in  the  history  of  their 
times.  She  would  always  remember  with  affection  \A^illiam  Duer, 
who  became  the  president  of  Columbia  College,  and  George 
Troup,  who  became  the  governor  of  Georgia.  It  might  not  be 
necessary  that  history  repeat  itself  in  these  matters,  but  she  soon 
clearly  saw  that  it  was  imperative  that  the  output  of  the  new 
school  should  consist  of  manly  boys  and  womanly  girls  with  a 
foundation  in  their  mental  life  which  should  make  for  culture. 

It  is  pleasant  to  muse  on  those  old  days  of  the  school,  and  peer 
w^ith  interested  eyes  into  the  dim  past — that  old  Dutch  past 
illumined  with  the  uncertain  mellowness  of  candlelisfht.  We  trv 
to  imagine  the  life  led  within  these  w'alls,  a  life  in  its  way  as  full 
and  vital  as  that  of  to-day.  A^ague  rumors  of  all  sorts  of  delightful 
and  romantic  happenings  reach  our  ears.  It  has  the  effect  upon 
us  of  some  old  song — a  sweet  melody  faintly  heard. 

The  career  of  the  old  school  had  begun  just  as  the  smoke  of 
the  Revolutionary  War  rose  like  a  curtain  on  an  historical  drama 
absolutely  unique.  The  new  school  started  with  national  conditions 
fixed,  but  still  the  freshness  and  zest  of  the  new  republic  made 
possible  an  independence  along  educational  lines  not  always  to 
be  found  in  older  and  precedent-ridden  civilization. 

The  hazard  of  new  fortunes  upon  which  Erasmus  Hall  Academy 
entered  when  it  became  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  in  Septem- 
ber, 1896,  was  extremely  interesting,  not  only  to  its  old  friends 
but  to  the  friends  of  education  in  New  York  City.  Although  the 
school  was  in  the  geographical  center  of  the  city  of  New  York, 
many  doubted  whether  it  was  wise  to  establish  a  high  school  any- 
where save  in  the  densely  populated  parts.  The  rapid  growth  of 
Flatbush  has  proved  the  wisdom  of  the  course  decided  upon.  It 
was  a  time  of  anxiety  but  of  hopefulness  undismayed  to  those 
interested  in  the  new  school.  The  situation  had  the  most  alluring 
possibilities  but  it  was  full  of  dangers  and  pitfalls. 

From  the  time  when  the  first  principal  of  Erasmus  Hall  High 
School  was  elected,  in  the  summer  of  1896,  the  best  efforts  of  him- 
self and  the  committee  of  the  Board  were  put  forward  to  get  the 
school  ready  to  open  on  the  14th  of  September  of  that  year.    The 


Ct)i:onicIc^  of  aEra>$ttiu^  l^all  l^igf)  :§cf)ool  137 

building  must  be  practically  made  over,  a  faculty  must  be  selected, 
and  that  with  the  greatest  care,  for  its  quality  might  in  a  way 
determine  the  quality  of  the  new^  institution.  The  policy  of  Dr. 
Gunnison  was  a  definite  and  in  some  ways  an  aggressive  one. 
He  knew  so  clearlv  what  he  desired  himself  that  he  made  others 
see  clearly  his  point  of  view.  There  were  objections  in  certain 
quarters  to  the  idea  of  opening  the  new  school  as  a  co-educational 
institution.  It  was  urged  that  this  could  be  done  possibly  in 
smaller  cities  but  would  be  inadvisable  in  a  New  York  school. 
Dr.  Gunnison  held  out  consistently  for  co-education,  and  the 
event  has  seemingly  proved  that  these  objections  were  not  well 
taken. 

The  local  committee  of  Erasmus  Hall  High  School  did  all  in 
its  power  to  make  the  new  school  a  success.  Its  power  was 
always  used  to  expedite  the  working  of  the  machinery  of  the 
school,  never  in  any  way  to  block  it.  It  was  the  first  committee 
to  place  the  nomination  of  teachers  in  the  hands  of  the  principal. 
It  was  voted  unanimously  "that  Dr.  Gunnison  be  directed  to 
make  the  nomination  of  teachers  for  such  vacancies  or  new^  posi- 
tions as  should  occur,  to  the  committee  ;  that  in  so  doing  it  should 
be  the  policy  of  the  committee  to  maintain  the  number  of  male 
and  female  teachers  as  nearly  equal  as  possible — in  the  interest 
of  the  school." 

It  was  with  feelings  of  some  doubt  as  to  the  immediate  future, 
but  with  a  steady  confidence  as  to  the  ultimate  destiny  of  the  new 
school,  that  the  twelve  original  members  of  the  faculty  met  on 
that  first  ]\Ionday.  Some  pessimists  went  so  far  as  to  declare 
that  there  would  not  be  more  than  one  pupil  for  each  teacher. 
About  one  hundred  and  fifty  boys  and  girls  actually  presented 
themselves — a  modest  number,  to  be  sure,  when  compared  with 
the  enormous  increase  w^hich  the  school  was  soon  to  know. 

There  was  a  peculiar  charm  about  those  first  days — the  new 
set  in  the  frame  of  the  old.  The  sense  in  a  way  of  an  experiment, 
of  liberty  to  work  out  a  unique  problem  in  an  independent  fashion, 
the  absence  of  too  much  red  tape  and  of  the  numbing  effect  of 
precedent. — all  of  these  matters  gave  a  zest  to  the  undertaking. 
One  might  not  like  the  old  building  but  one  could  not  help  loving 
it.  Situated  as  it  was  in  the  heart  of  conservative  old  Flatbush, 
the  very  approach  under  the  noble  sycamores  screening  the 
building  gave  an  air  of  august  age  and  dignity  to  the  entire  neigh- 
borhood. The  school  itself  was  almost  decrepit  in  some  ways, 
notwithstanding  the  youthful  toilet  it  was  frantically  endeavoring 


138  CJ^roniclcs  of  €ra^mus  l^all  l^igl)  :§)cI)ddI 

to  make,  so  that  the  inrush  of  young  new  blood  was  all  the  more 
startling  by  contrast. 

One  cannot  proceed  very  far  in  the  story  of  the  school's  rein- 
carnation without  finding  that  it  becomes  identified  in  a  measure 
with  the  story  of  its  first  principal,  for  all  the  varied  resources  of 
a  powerful  personality  were  directed  towards  the  success  of  this 
new  project.  The  career  of  Dr.  Walter  Balfour  Gunnison  had 
l^eculiarly  fitted  him  for  this  task.  .\  New  England  man  by  birth, 
he  was  graduated  from  St.  Lawrence  University,  where  for  sev- 
eral years  he  held  the  professorship  of  Latin.  He  studied  and 
practised  law,  but  the  subject  of  the  education  of  the  young 
always  appealed  to  him  strongly.  \\'hile  principal  of  a  large  and 
flourishing  grammar  school  in  Brooklyn,  he  was  called  to  the 
presidency  of  St.   Lawrence  L^niversity,  but  declined  the  offer. 

He  had  accepted,  in  the  spring  of  1896,  the  office  of  Assistant 
Superintendent  in  the  School  Board  of  New  York,  but  resigned 
this  position  when  elected  Principal  of  Erasmus  Hall  High  School. 
His  eleven  years  of  experience  in  grammar  school  work  had  pre- 
pared him  for  this  larger  field  of  work.  He  has  always  managed 
to  keep  in  touch  with  the  larger  currents  of  thought,  not  only 
educational  but  social  and  political.  He  has  been  president  of  a 
number  of  large  societies,  notably  the  New  York  State  Teachers' 
Association,  the  New  York  Schoolmasters'  Club,  and  the  Univer- 
sity Club  of  Brooklyn.  Though  a  self-made  man,  he  did  not  spend 
his  time  in  worshipping  his  creator,  as  is  the  manner  of  many  of 
til  is  ilk.  There  was  always  something  for  him  to  do,  not  simply 
something  for  him  to  be.  If  his  whole-souled  devotion  to  the 
success  of  the  new  school  had  not  been  sufficient,  that,  combined 
with  a  certain  magnetic  gift  of  appealing  to  the  enthusiasm  of 
both  pu])ils  and  teachers,  proved  irresistible.  If  it  were  possible 
to  select  one  matter  in  education  for  which  Dr.  Gunnison  pre- 
eminently stands,  when  of  necessity  he  represents  so  many  issues, 
it  would  be  his  insistence  upon  the  recognition  of  the  individual 
and  the  development  of  personality  in  pupil  and  teacher.  In  a 
symmetrical  education,  the  purely  mental  development  is  only 
one  half  of  the  problem  ;  that  to  be  sure  must  be  encouraged  with 
sympathy  and  understanding.  But  aside  from  this,  a  secondary 
school  such  as  I^rasmus  Hall,  situated  in  a  large  city,  should  give 
opportunities  for  develojnnent  along  other  lines,  chiefly  athletic, 
social  and  aesthetic.  I'^rom  this  need  arose  primarily  the  baseball 
and   football    teams,   the  basketball   teams,   the   tennis   club,   the 


Cl)ronxcIe^  of  €ra,s?mu>6f  l^all  l^igft  ^cfjool 


139 


Medal  for  Scholarship 


hockey  team,  the  fencing  ckib  ;  in  the 
second  place,  the  various  Greek-letter 
societies  and  the  different  social  events 
coming  in  the  course  of  the  school 
year;  and  in  the  third  place,  the  literary 
clubs,  the  art  clubs,  the  camera  club, 
the  orchestra,  the  mandolin  and  glee 
clubs.  In  a  large  school  there  is  to  be 
found  of  necessity  a  great  number  of 
these  organizations — perhaps  to  an  out- 
sider, who  has  heard  of  them  super- 
ficially, an  astonishing  nund^er  of  them. 
But  each  has  its  definite  place  in  the 
economy  of  the  whole.  If  any  outlives 
its  usefulness,  it  is  soon  discontinued. 
In  a  sober  chronicle,  it  mav  not  be  fitting:  to  do  more  than 
mention  a  factor  which  has  had  more  to  do  with  the  smooth 
progress  of  affairs  than  any  other  one  thing.  I  refer  to  the  feeling 
of  loyalty  and  affection  of  the  pupils  for  their  Principal,  and  the 
feeling  of  sympathy  in  aims  and  of  loyalty  of  the  faculty  for  its 
head.  No  one  could  possibly  understand  the  history  of  the  school 
at  this  ])erio{l  without  taking  this  element  into  account. 

The  formal  transfer  of  Erasmus  Hall  and  its  grounds  to  the 
city  was  made  at  a  public  meeting  held  in  the  Dutch  Reformed 
Church  on  the  evening  of  October  14,  189C).  This  meeting  was 
interesting  from  many  points  of  view.  The  aff'air  proved  an 
excellent  illustration  of  the  blessedness  of  giving  and  the  blessed- 
ness of  receiving.  It  appealed  to  many  of  the  old  families  of 
Platbush  who  for  over  a  century  had  been  interested  in  this 
school.  It  appealed  to  the  city  of  Brooklyn  and  its  represent- 
atives because  such  a  gift  was 
absolutely  unicpie.  It  came  at 
a  time  when  the  demand  for 
secondary  education  was  grow- 
ing and  when  the  exchequer  of 
the  city  found  it  difficult  to 
meet  this  demand.  One  most 
vividly  realized  at  such  a  meet- 
ing what  an  important  moral 
force  Erasmus  Hall  had  been 
for  more   than   a  century,   and  7j^p  School  Pin 


^^^^mumm^. 

^^" 

j^^'m'>m>  ■m-'^mm 

iilS. 

^'W 

'^W"-^'^B 

^f 

lis 

-mrw^mm 

il^H 

MO  Cftroniclcs?  of  €rasmu$  l^all  I9igl)  :$>cl)ooI 

the  assurances  of  Dr.  Gunnison  on  assuming  the  guidance  of  its 
new  career  were  most  solemn.  Especial  gratitude  was  felt 
toward  the  late  Dr.  John  L.  Zabriskie,  for  years  a  firm  friend  of 
education  in  Brooklyn,  who  had  conceived  the  idea  of  the  transfer 
of  the  school,  and  who,  together  with  ^[r.  John  Z.  Lott,  had  been 
active  in  carrA^ing  the  matter  through. 

^Ir.  Richard  Young,  as  the  chairman  of  the  Committee  of 
Erasmus  Hall,  naturally  presided  and  made  the  opening  speech. 
This  school  had  no  truer  friend  then  nor  later.  In  all  the  many 
trying  questions  that  arose  in  regard  to  the  school,  the  Principal 
received  the  warmest  sympathy  and  support  from  the  chairman 
of  the  committee.  Xo  one  not  directly  connected  with  the  school  has 
shown  in  so  many  different  ways  so  vivid  an  interest  in  its  success. 

In  a  few  forceful  words  ]\Ir.  Young  showed  of  what  impor- 
tance this  gift  might  prove  to  Flatbush  and  to  the  boys  and  girls 
who  availed  themselves  of  the  opportunities  this  school  oft'ered. 

Dr.  Cornelius  L.  Wells,  representing  the  Church  which  was  so 
intimately  connected  with  Erasmus  Hall  in  its  various  fortunes, 
then  spoke  of  the  foundation  of  the  school. 

Dr.  Homer  L.  Bartlett,  speaking  in  behalf  of  the  Trustees  of 
Erasmus  Hall,  showed  what  a  solemn  trust  the  last  committee  of 
the  Academy  felt  their  office  to  be,  and  in  behalf  of  the  comniittee 
said  :  ''The  Trustees  have  felt  and  still  continue  to  feel  that  the 
free  gift  of  this  valuable  property  with  all  the  associations  con- 
nected with  it  deserves  public  recognition."  He  then  gave  an 
interesting  resume  of  the  early  history  of  the  school. 

In  speaking  of  a  contract  made  by  the  authorities  with  a  cer- 
tain teacher,  he  said  that  it  was  stipulated  that  ''the  teacher 
should  not  only  do  the  usual  duties  appertaining  to  his  office,  but 
in  addition  thereto  should  l)e  the  town  clerk,  sexton  and  grave 
digger,  bell  ringer,  fore  singer,  catechist  and  lay  reader!"  In 
these  days  of  specialization  such  an  amazing  combination  of  pur- 
suits strikes  one  aghast.  Dr.  Bartlett  proceeded  :  ''Dutch  only 
was  taught  up  to  the  time  of  the  English  occupation — Dutch  and 
English  from  then  to  the  time  of  the  American  Revolution,  and 
during  the  time  of  the  British  occupation  only  English.  An 
Englishman  by  the  name  of  Gabriel  Ellison  filled  the  part  of 
teacher  during  the  American  War.  He  must  have  been  a  rare 
character.  As  has  already  been  said,  nothing  but  English  was 
taught  in  this  school  during  the  war,  and  no  Dutch  was  allowed 
to  be  spoken  during  school  hours.     As  this  was  at  that  time  the 


Richard  Youxg 


141 


Cf)ronidc^  of  (gra^mu^  i^all  i^igf)  ^c{)doI 


143 


language  mostly  spoken  at  the  homes  of  the  children,  it  became 
a  matter  of  great  difficulty  to  prevent  the  speaking  of  Dutch.  He 
therefore  devised  the  following  ingenious  method:  He  cast  a 
pewter  coin  about  the  size  and  shape  of  our  silver  dollar.'  This  he 
suspended  with  a  string  about  the  neck  of  the  first  offender.  This 
child  was  then  placed  as  a  sentinel  over  the  rest,  and  if  he  detected 
any  delinquent,  No.  2  w^ore  the  medal,  and  so  on  to  the  close  of 
the  school,  and  the  unhappy  wight  on  whom  it  was  last  found 
received  the  punishment  of  all.     Although  Dutch  was  prohibited 

in  school  during  the  time  above 
mentioned,  still  all  the  services  in 
the  church  were  conducted  in  that 
language,  and  poor  Ellison,  being 
an  Englishman,  found  it  exceed- 
ingly difficult  to  intone  the  hymns 
and  psalms  in  the  language  of 
Holland,  especially  when  the  min- 
ister gave  out  Psalm  cxix,  with  its 
176  verses." 

In  conckision,  speaking  of  the 
gift,  he  said  :  "It  is  indeed  a  glo- 
rious heritage,  a  noble  trust.  I 
speak  not  of  its  money  value,  but 
of  its  history  and  its  work.  There 
it  stands,  a  connecting  link  be- 
tween the  generations  gone  and 
the  generations  to  come.  Almost 
within  its  life  the  nation  has  de- 
xeloped  from  thirteen  dependent 
colonies  to  forty-five  imperial 
States ;  this  county  from  being  a 
few  scattered  villages  has  grown  into  a  mighty  city — pulsating 
with  the  throbbings  of  a  million  human  hearts.  What  has  been 
the  secret  of  this  growth  ?  Knowledge — knowledge,  human  and 
divine.  Gentlemen,  we  commit  this  object  of  our  love  to  your 
tender  care." 

Mr.  J.  E.  Swanstrom,  the  ])resident  of  the  Board,  spoke  from 
the  point  of  view  of  the  future:  "While  it  (the  school)  has  hon- 
orably discharged  its  duties  and  obligations  within  the  scope  of 
its  functions  as  a  private  agency,  its  noblest  work,  its  highest 
mission  is  yet  to  be  performed." 


Medal  for  Athletics 


144  Ci^roniclc.sf  of  aEra-efmu^  l^all  l^igf)  .-§cl)ool 

After  i\Iayor  ^^'urster  had  accepted  the  gift  in  the  name  of  the 
city.  Dr.  Gunnison  accepted  the  trust  in  these  words :  ''Erasmus 
Hall  shall  stand,  as  far  as  in  me  lies,  for  sound  scholarship,  for 
general  culture  and  refinement  and  for  that  character  that  shall 
be  self-reliant  and  manly.  The  traditions  of  the  past  shall  be 
cherished  and  shall  ever  be  an  inspiration  for  the  future,  my  one 
hope  and  abiding  faith  is,  that  the  great  glory  of  its  past  shall  be 
heightened  and  extended  by  the  greater  glory  which  the  new 
opportunities  and  greater  facilities  seem  to  place  within  its  reach." 

The  next  occasion  of  public  interest  was  the  throwing  open 
for  inspection  of  the  old-new  building.  It  was  natural  that  those 
who  were  interested  in  the  old  school  should  wish  to  see  it  in  its 
rehabilitation.  Invitations  to  the  number  of  five  hundred  were 
issued.  i\Iany  an  ancient  alumnus  was  present.  At  this  time  a 
policy  was  instituted  which  has  prevailed  since.  The  school 
remains  open  every  Saturday  during  the  school  year,  and  from 
eight  to  five  on  other  days.  This  is  done  not  only  for  the  benefit 
of  parents  and  others  who  wish  to  visit  the  school  but  also  for  the 
scholars,  many  of  whom  continue  their  work  outside  of  school 
hours. 

The  educational  welfare  of  the  pupils  was  found  to  be  materi- 
ally enhanced  by  a  series  of  parents'  meetings,  instituted  about 
this  time. 

In  the  first  years  of  the  school  life,  an  urgent  need  of  a  place 
where  the  entire  school  could  assemble  was  felt.  The  chapel  of 
the  Dutch  Reformed  Church  was  offered  for  this  purpose,  and  for 
three  years  the  school  assembled  there  at  least  once  a  week. 
Many  men  came  to  speak  to  these  young  people  who  vividly 
reached  and  interested  them ;  at  times,  of  course,  there  were 
those  who  in  the  time-honored  mode  addressed  the  wondering 
assembly  in  Johnsonian  or  Brobdingnagian  phraseology,  which 
tended  to  conceal  the  trite  platitudes  which  their  authors  were 
trying  to  express.  But  in  those  old  days  there  was  some  live 
work  done  by  the  pupils  themselves.  Talent  of  all  sorts  was 
exploited  here — musical,  rhetorical,  dramatic.  Exercises  in  honor 
of  famous  men,  such  as  W^ashington  Irving,  Franklin,  Tennyson, 
Poe,  Emerson  and  Kipling,  were  prepared  with  care.  German 
and  French  plays  were  given,  and  a  translation  of  the  "Captives" 
of  Plautus  was  presented. 

All  the  accessories  of  a  full-fledged  high  school  were  soon  to 
be  found.     Colors  were  chosen — the  Continental  buff  and  blue  ; 


C{)rDnicIc0  of  a2ra0mu.i^  l^all  l^igl)  M^tt^ml  us 

a  pin.  Avhich  was  an  adaptation  from  the  famous  mantelpiece  in 
the  office,  was  adopted  ;  even  yells,  trained  to  the  highest  perfec- 
tion in  precision,  pitch  and  volume,  were  to  be  heard  at  the 
games  ;  medals — gold,  silver  and  bronze,  bearing  the  head  of 
Erasmus,  were  struck  off,  to  be  used  variously  as  prizes. 

The  following  letters,  as  showing  the  points  of  view  of  teacher 
and  of  pupil  in  those  earlier  days  may  be  found  of  interest : 


Paterson,  N.  J.,  February  i,  1906. 

Mr.  Eugene  W.  Harter: 

Dear  Sir:  The  charm  of  old  Erasmus  Hall  lay  in  its  simplicity,  in  its 
air  of  what  is  for  America  the  remote  past,  and  in  its  seclusion  behind  the 
fine  old  trees.  I  remember  the  Hall  during  its  renovation  in  the  summer  of 
1896  to  make  ready  for  occupancy  by  us,  the  invading  public  high  school 
people  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn;  but  I  also  remember  it  in  earlier  years,  before 
its  discovery  by  the  moderns,  with  their  free  education,  their  numerous 
electives  from  art  and  science  to  basement  shower  baths,  their  co-educators 
and  co-educated,  their  habitual  blue  stationery,  and  their  atmosphere  of  don't- 
seem-to-work-as-hard-as-you-really-do-work.  The  entire  spirit  of  the  regen- 
erated Erasmus  was  in  keeping  with  the  traditions  of  the  old.  The  pitch 
was  a  little  higher,  the  third  of  the  old  keynote. 

There  were  not  very  many  of  us  that  first  3'ear,  my  only  year.  The 
memory  is  not  very  distinct  as  to  the  exact  statistics,  but  impressions  remain 
of  some  dozen  teachers  and  rather  less  than  two  hundred  pupils  the  first  half 
year  and  of  a  few  more  teachers  and  many  more  pupils  the  second  half  year. 
I  wondered  whether  the  old  timbers  and  walls  would  stand  for  them  all. 
Many  of  the  teachers  were  women,  and  an  uncommonly  attractive  set  of 
women  they  were;  and,  of  course,  as  in  all  other  co-educational  high  schools, 
most  of  the  pupils  were  girls,  of  w^hom  I  remember  not  a  few  to  this  day. 
I  confess  not  regretfully  that  the  teachers  and  pupils  and,  be  it  said  quietly 
but  firmly,  the  Principal  had  not  that  appearance  of  restraint  and  of  con- 
straint which  is  supposed  to  mark  the  caste  of  high  school  folk.  The  gen- 
eral good  nature  was  indubitably  a  good  thing  for  the  soul  of  one  who  had 
seen  other  things  in  his  time. 

Many  events  come  vividly  to  my  mind. 

One  day  in  early  spring,  the  janitor  in  solemn  dignity  appeared  in  my 
room,  full  of  boys  and  girls  really  trying  to  answer  one  of  my  unanswerable 
history  questions,  and  informed  us  all  that  a  man,  driving  by,  had  seen  a  fire 
in  the  cellar  through  the  window  and  that  they  two  had  just  put  it  out. 
Considerably  relieved  by  this  discovery  of  what  might  easily  have  put  an  end 
to  our  interesting  school  experiment,  I  took  up  anew  the  class  discussion, 
only  to  be  interrupted  by  the  same  worthy  who,  before  departing,  remarked, 
'T  should  be  sorry  to  have  the  building  burn  down,  I  should  miss  standing 
in  the  cellar  under  the  floor  of  your  room  and  hearing  your  recitations." 
Whereupon  one  of  the  students,  whom  I  still  count  among  my  personal  friends, 
remarked  sardonically,  "And  the  professor's  jokes." 

10 


146  €l)i:onicIc^  of  oBra^'mus?  l^all  l^igl)  ct^cljool 

If  I  had  been  as  old  then  as  I  am  now,  I  should  not  have  forwarded 
that  student  by  express  to  the  office  for  further  enlightenment.  Xo,  we  were 
not  too  informal.  We  made  room  for  the  '"self-activity"  of  the  pupil.  There 
was  more  practice  of  sound  pedagogy  in  Erasmus  Hall  than  in  most  other 
high  schools.  Upon  information,  I  am  sure  that  this  is  as  true  in  1906  as  it 
was  in  1896. 

I  cannot  forget  the  details  from  singing  classes  to  Saturday  morning  bicycle 
runs,  not  yet  out  of  fashion  in  those  elder  days.  Everyone  had  a  decided 
disposition  to  take  hold  and  to  do  something.  Erasmus  Hall  was  a  co-opera- 
tive academy  of  learning  and  teaching,  a  true  college,  a  getting  together. 

We  began  in  September,  with  a  few  pupils  ready  to  do  the  second  half 
year  work  of  the  first  high  school  year,  so  that,  in  February,  we  had  three 
half  years  represented.  Nothing  interested  me  more  than  the  comments  upon 
the  Erasmus  Hall  methods  compared  with  those  in  other  high  schools  and 
in  the  grammar  schools  from  which  our  pupils  came.  Our  boys  and  girls 
seemed  to  think  that  they  had  found  a  new  world  of  freedom  and  of  oppor- 
tunity and  looked  upon  the  head  of  the  school  as  a  modern  educational 
Columbus.  And  yet  the  differences  in  courses  and  in  methods  were  but  slight 
in  themselves.  It  was  the  administration,  the  spirit  of  hearty  good  will 
toward  everyone  that  dififered.  The  hitherto  mischievous  boy  and  the  anaemic 
girl,  victims  perhaps  of  too  much  cit}-  and  of  too  much  school  in  the  past, 
found  the  better  air  of  the  open  country  at  Erasmus  Hall.  This  is  true 
materially  as  well  as  figuratively.  The  boAS  could  play  ball  and  the  girls 
stroll  around  upon  the  grounds ;  and  the  head  not  merely  looked  on  approv- 
ingly but  on  occasion  went  to  the  bat  himself.  I  am  not  certain  whether  he 
made  three  bases  or  a  home  run,  but  I  am  certain  that  in  ten  years  he  has  not 
struck  out  yet. 

I  have  studied  and  taught  in  so  many  schools  and  in  so  many  different 
places  that  a  mere  catalogue  would  fill  this  page;  and  I  have  visited  hun- 
dreds of  schools,  yes,  I  fear,  a  thousand.  Erasmus  Hall  fills  a  very  peculiar 
and  a  very  special  niche  in  my  memory.  It  seems  like  an  embodied  idyl.  In 
two  hundred  days,  I  do  not  recall  a  single  unpleasant  incident.  And  yet 
it  was  the  year  of  organization  with  many  opportunities  for  misunderstand- 
ings and  disagreements.  We  sailed  on  a  pleasant  voyage  past  the  Scylla  of 
Tyranny  and  the  Charybdis  of  Anarchy,  and  never  suspected  the  possibility 
of  the  existence  of  either.     Such  was  the  skill  of  the  pilot. 

I  would  like  to  write  of  the  individual  teachers.  The  records,  of  course, 
show  who  they  were  in  that  annus  mirahilis.  We  lost  one  who  became 
a  school  principal  in  the  spring.  Later  I  disappeared.  Then  came  acces- 
sions on  accessions  until,  I  suppose,  the  old  faculty  is  engulfed  indis- 
tinguishably  in  the  new.  Some  day  the  old  building  will  be  swallowed  up 
in  progress,  to  become  a  mere  memory  of  the  past.  Photography  and 
engraving  will  save  it  from  oblivion  after  those  of  us  who  have  known  its 
walls,  the  teachers  and  the  pupils  of  more  than  a  century,  have  gone  the  way 
of  all  flesh. 

To  go  forward  is  best.  To  go  forth  out  of  the  little  rooms  and  from 
beneath  the  low  ceilings  is  a  true  kind  of  salvation,  of  health  making.  But 
lest  we  forget,  it  is  indeed  fitting  to  prepare  this  book  as  a  memorial.     If 


ari)ronicIe>6?  of  €ra^mu^  l^all  i^igJ)  ^c()doI  147 

buildings  have  their  proper  ghosts,  I  hope  that  the  spectral  spirit  of  old 
Erasmus  Hall  will  in  the  moonlight  future  look  benignantly  upon  the  massive 
piles  of  the  new  Hall. 

Very  sincerely, 

William  E.  Chancellor, 
Superintendent  of  Schools,  Paterson,  N.  J. 

II. 

Brookline,  Mass.,  February  i,  1906. 
My  Dear  Mr.  Harter: 

As  I  look  back  to  the  Erasmus  Hall  which  I  knew  nearly  ten 
years  ago,  my  chief  impression  is  one  of  warmth  and  kindness  in  every 
relation  of  school  life.  In  that  small  school  all  were  well  acquainted.  From 
the  moment  when  the  new  classes  assembled  in  the  study  room,  and  the  "old" 
scholars  made  errands  thither  that  they  might  see  how  the  "children"'  looked, 
to  the  moment  when  the  same  children  passed  out  for  all  time  from  study 
room  and  school,  there  was  constant,  friendly  exchange  of  interest  between 
pupil  and  pupil,  teacher  and  taught.  The  conditions  of  our  life  were  so 
informal.  We  jostled  the  same  scholar  in  the  same  narrow  halls  hour  after 
hour,  recited  to  the  same  teachers,  and  felt  that  they  knew  us  well.  All  our 
clubs  and  organizations  were  necessarily  small  and  intimate.  I  well  remember 
the  first  meeting  of  the  Orchestra  in  the  little  Library — three  first  and  two 
second  violins  and  a  guitar,  all  very  much  afraid  of  each  other.  I  remember, 
too,  Dr.  Gunnison's  delight  in  our  efforts,  and  his  happiness  as  term  by  term 
new  members  came  with  new  instruments,  and  the  Mandolin  Club  sprang  up 
by  our  side,  to  share  with  us  the  Chapel  Exercises. 

What  a  splendid  beginning  for  the  week  those  exercises  were.  To  "pass" 
to  the  Chapel  in  the  crisp  morning  air,  and  to  sing  out  loud  and  joyfully, 
"On,  Comrades  Bold!"  or  "On  to  the  Battle!"  and,  at  the  end,  to  join  in  the 
enthusiastic  "Erasmus  Hall"  was  an  excellent  weapon  against  the  Monday 
blues.  The  recitations  were  interesting,  sometimes  even  thrillingly  exciting, 
but  I  think  the  great  charm  lay  in  the  sense  of  being  wholly  an  intimate  part 
and  parcel  of  the  three  or  four  or  six  hundred,  as  the  term  might  grant  (for 
we  grew  rapidly  in  those  years),  who  listened  or  sang  together  in  friendly 
harmony. 

The  actual  classes  were  small  and  informal,  especially  for  those  of  us  who 
prepared  for  college  out  of  course.  For  us  no  pains  were  begrudged,  no 
planning  spared.  Especially  I  marvelled  then  and  marvel  still  at  the  infinite 
patience  of  her  who  arranged  our  conflicting  studies  and  desires  with  con- 
stant sympathy  and  skill.  I  have  been  in  a  Homer  class  of  four,  which 
wandered  from  hall  to  office,  to  librar}^,  and  to  lawn  as  occasion  offered; 
in  a  Roman  history  class  of  five,  which  met  in  the  teacher's  lunch  room,  where 
the  potato-patterned  oil-cloth  of  the  tables  was  a  never- failing  refuge  to  a 
nervous  and  forgetful  mind ;  and  even — best  of  all — in  a  Vergil  recitation 
of  one,  where  the  busy  Principal  gave  an  hour  from  each  crowded  day  to  one 
unclassified  girl,  who  has  never  forgotten  his  goodness. 

Despite  our  informalit}*,  however,  the  work  was  most  excellently  done ; 
for  there  was  no  careless  freedom,  but  rather,  through  training  and  intelli- 


ms  C^ronidcia?  of  ^ras^muj^  l^all  l^igf)  :§c^ddI 

gence,  the  closest  parallel  to  and  preparation  for  subsequent  college  work 
which  I  believe  possible  in  a  school.  Stimulated  to  self-dependence  and  self- 
trust  under  friendh-  guidance,  we  learned  unconscioush'  day  by  day  how  best 
to  meet  the  intellectual  and  social  problems  of  school  life. 

I  could  write  almost  endlessly  of  our  days  there.  It  is,  I  think,  a  note- 
worthy thing  that  whatever  the  after  years  have  brought  to  us  who  once 
knew  and  loved  Erasmus  Hall,  those  memories  stand  out  keen  and  clear.  We 
have  known  many  happy  days  of  home  or  college  life,  but  I  believe  that  for 
most  of  us  the  peculiar  charm  of  Erasmus  Hall  still  abides  and  holds  in  our 
hearts  a  place  which  nothing  else  can  fill. 

We  feel  too  that  though  much  of  this  charm  had  its  birth  in  the  quaint 
old  building  and  the  intimacy  of  our  own  limited  numbers,  far  more  lay  in 
the  devotion  of  the  teachers  who  always  so  willingly  befriended  and  guided 
us,  and  that  the  most  of  all  was  due  to  the  man  who  was  never  too  busy  to  share 
in  our  pleasures  or  sorrows,  and  who  inspired  teachers  and  pupils  alike  with 
his  own  spirit  of  broad-minded  and  unfailing  kindliness.  Wherefore,  though 
many  of  us,  with  all  our  joy  for  the  school  in  its  new  building,  must  ever 
feel  a  love  and  regret  for  the  simpler,  b3'gone  days,  we  yet  know  that  under 
his  hand  Erasmus  Hall  will  remain  for  those  who  are,  who  have  been,  and 
who  are  to  come,  the  home  which  his  loving  care  has  always  made  it. 

To  the  children  of  the  New  Erasmus  Hall  High  School  I  bear  greeting 
from  the  children  of  the  Old.     May  their  school  days  be  as  happy  as  ours. 

Very  sincerely  \ours, 

Theodora  Batks, 

Class  of  1899. 

III. 

Brooklyn,  New  York,  March  15,  1906. 
Dear  Mr.  Harter: 

I  am  pleased  at  the  opportunity  offered  by  you  to  speak  of  the  first  com- 
mittee of  the  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  to  whose  influence  and  direction 
the  new  school  is  much  indebted. 

Authorized  in  mid-summer  of  1896,  the  task  of  organizing  the  staff  of 
teachers,  repairing  an  old  building,  practically  abandoned,  and  equipping  it 
for  the  use  of  a  modern  high  school,  was  no  small  task.  In  appointmg  this 
committee  President  Swanstrom  therefore  placed  only  the  most  tried  and 
capable  members  of  the  Board  of  Education  upon  it.  Mr.  Richard  Young,  as 
chairman,  had  all  the  interest  of  the  others  in  the  school  as  a  city  high  school, 
and  in  addition  the  warm  personal  attachment  of  a  resident  of  Flatbush  and 
of  a  patron  of  the  old  school.  During  his  entire  connection  with  the  chairman- 
ship, his  kindly  sympathy  in  all  connected  with  the  institution,  and  his  pride 
in  its  upbuilding,  was  the  strongest  factor  in  its  successful  development.  His 
one  demand  was  that  its  aims  should  be  the  highest  possible,  and  his  strong 
personality,  genial  character  and  generous  disposition  were  always  ready  m 

its  needs. 

Mr.  Henry  W.  Maxwell  was  in  close  sympathy  with  him  in  his  work.  It 
would  be  a  pleasure,  did  space  permit,  to  enumerate  the  many  thoughtful 
deeds  of  this  great  and  kindly  man,  at  whose  death  in   1902  the  whole  city 


chronicles  of  €ra^mu^  l^all  l^igl)  ^cl)ooI 


149 


mourned.  On  his  first  visit  to  the  school  he  saw  that  many  new  enterprises 
were  being  started.  He  insisted  that  he  be  allowed  to  assist  personally  in  all, 
and  on  his  return  to  his  office  sent  a  liberal  check  "as  a  starter."'  The  Prin- 
cipal once  wrote  him  of  the  case  of  a  very  poor  young  girl  who  was  eager 
for  a  college  education  but  who  was  debarred  by  lack  of  funds.  Without 
waiting  to  write,  he  'phoned  at  once  to  send  her  to  college,  and  to  call  upon 
him  as  the  funds  were  needed.  Before  her  course  was  completed  he  passed 
away,  but  a  memorandum  found  among  his  papers  caused  his  brother  to  con- 
tinue the  generous  assistance.  Professor  Franklin  W.  Hooper,  Director  of  the 
Brooklyn  Institute,  gave  his  best  energies  and  interest  to  the  work,  especially 
to  the  development  of  its  courses  of  study.  ^Ir.  John  ]\IacNamee,  one  of  the 
most  devoted  friends  the  educational  system  of  the  city  has  ever  had ;  Dr. 
George  D.  Hamlin,  then  a  comparatively  new  member ;  ]\Ir.  James  Weir,  for 
many  years  the  head  of  the  leading  committee  of  the  Board,  and  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Pettingill,  were  very  actively  interested  in  the  new  movement.  All  these 
formed  a  committee  which  for  influential  standing  and  wide  experience  could 
not  be  duplicated.  They  gave  whole-hearted  attention  to  the  problems  of 
organization.  No  teacher  was  appointed  until  after  most  careful  investigation 
he  proved  to  be  the  very  best  available  for  the  place.  They  were  jealous  of 
the  good  name  and  traditions  of  the  school.  Their  co-operation  could  always 
be  depended  upon,  and  when  needed,  generous  personal  contributions  were 
freely  tendered.  Erasmus  Hall  in  its  whole  long  history  was  never  served 
more  effectively  and  disinterestedly  by  any  body  than  by  its  first  committee. 

'Sir.  Young  remained  as  chairman  until  within  a  few  months  prior  to  con- 
solidation, when  ]\Ir.  Edward  M.  Bassett  as  acting  chairman  effectively  carried 
on  his  w^ork  until  the  local  committee  system  was  abolished  under  the  charter. 

During  all  these  years  City  Superintendent  William  H.  Maxwell  was  at 
the  head  of  the  school  system,  and  from  first  to  last  always  gave  generously 
to  the  support  and  encouragement  and  direction  of  the  committee  and  the 
school  authorities.  Whatever  success  has  come  to  the  school  is  largely  due 
to  the  harmonious  working  together  of  all  the  elements  of  administration  and 
supervision   from  the  very  beginning. 

Very  truly  yours, 

Walter  B,   Gunnison. 

And  now  the  new  school  grew  in  numbers  so  rapidly  that 
there  was  serious  talk  of  a  new  school  building.  The  Board  of 
Education,  recognizing  this  necessity,  made  an  offer  of  awards  to 
architects  submitting  plans  for  a  new  building.  Twenty  plans 
were  received.  The  first  prize  of  $600  was  won  by  J.  Graham 
Slover  and  Henry  Clay  Carrel ;  the  second  of  $400,  by  John  J. 
Petit  and  James  C.  Green ;  the  third  of  $200,  by  David  William 
AATlson  and  Jacob  Thinnes,  Jr.  ^luch  interest  was  shown  in  the 
plans  of  the  successful  competitors.  Xo  one  of  these  plans  was 
eventually  used,  however,  as  none  of  them  successfully  solved  a 
difficult  architectural  problem.  The  Board  of  Education,  how- 
ever, found  it  necessary  to  make  some  provision  for  the  rapidly 


i=;o 


€f)rDniclc.0  of  aBrasmue?  l^all  l^igl^  :f)cl)ool 


increasing  registration.  It  therefore  added  two  commodious 
wings  to  the  old  building.  These  new  excrescences  gave  one  an 
impression  of  some  modern  kind  of  ugly  phoenix  which  renewed 
its  youth  from  time  to  time.  The  view  from  the  back  especially 
was  architecturally  impossible,  but  within  the  building  all  was 
light  and  comfort.  In  this  Avay  many  extra  recitation  rooms  were 
provided,  as  well  as  two  large  study  rooms,  a  lecture  room  and 
well-equipped  laboratories  for  science,  two  well-lighted  drawing 
rooms  and  a  commercial  room.  Even  with  this  extra  room  it 
was  found  impossible  to  keep  pace  with  the  growth  of  the  school. 
Classes  were  sent  to  the  rooms  of  the  Board  of  Education  in  Liv- 
ingston Street,  two  were  provided  for  in  a  new  grammar  school 
at  Bay  Ridge.  Even  then  it  was  found  necessary  to  resort  to 
half-time  classes  in  the  lower  grades.  At  one  time  this  peculiar 
condition  of  affairs  prevailed.  There  were  four  dift'erent  time 
schedules  in  the  school.  One  part  had  a  session  from  nine  to 
twelve ;  one  from  ten-forty-five  to  four ;  the  third  from  one  to 
four,  and  the  upper  classes  had  the  full  session  of  from  nine  to 
half-past  two.  To  the  half-day  classes  the  usual  number  of  reci- 
tations were  given  but  no  study  periods.  There  proved  to  be  too 
many  drawbacks  to  this  system,  and  when  the  Bedford  Avenue 
purchase  of  land  was  made  in  1902  it  was  discontinued.  The  six 
cottages  acquired  by  the  purchase  were  fitted  up  into  recitation 
rooms,  two  each,  which  provided  for  some  three  hundred  pupils. 
These  new  plans  made  in  appearance  at  least  a  miniature  uni- 
versity of  the  school. 

Such  ver}'  rapid  growth  entailed  naturally  many  drawbacks, 
and  each  term  the  problem  put  on  new  dif^culties.  The  growth 
of  the  school  from  less  than  two  hundred  to  eighteen  hundred  in 
three  or  four  years  was  marvellous  and  in  some  ways  disconcert- 
ing; but  it  made  it  impossible  for  the  system  to  fall  into  a  rut 
and  avoided  the  e\'ils  of  dry  rot. 

No  one  can  gain  an  adequate  conception  of  the  school  unless 
he  take  into  account  the  large  accessory  life  provided  b}-  the 
\'arious  societies  and  clubs.  The  question  of  Greek-letter  soci- 
eties is  a  xexed  one  in  many  schools,  and  under  some  circum- 
stances the}'  ma\'  d()ul)tless  ])r(n-e  undesirable,  l)ut  they  have 
])ro\'ed  on  the  whole  to  be  successful  here.  In  so  large  a  school 
it  is  im])ossible  for  an}'  one  i)U])il  to  know  intimately  any  great 
num])er  of  his  mates.  The  ])u])ils  naturall}'  fall  or  form  them- 
selves into  bands  of  those  who  ha\'e  similar  tastes,  points  of  view 


w 

O 

o 

H 
H 
> 

a 
m 
c« 

o 
:^ 

bd 
a 
o 


> 


Cl)ronicle30f  of  oEra.iefmu^  l^all  l^igJ)  :§cf)ooI  153 

and  pursuits.  It  was  found  desirable  that  these  should  form  defi- 
nite organizations,  each  of  which  should  be  under  the  charge  of 
a  special  teacher.  No  one  is  allowed  to  join  these  organizations 
unless  his  scholarship  and  general  standing  in  the  school  make 
hini  in  the  eyes  of  the  Principal  a  desirable  candidate.  For  a 
number  of  pupils  in  such  as  school  as  Erasmus  Hall,  the  greater 
part  of  any  desirable  social  life  is  to  be  found  in  their  school  rela- 
tions. The  social  instincts  which  in  the  young  it  is  very  unde- 
sirable and  even  disastrous  to  try  to  thwart,  are  here  naturally 
developed  along  lines  which  prove  valuable  often  not  only  for  the 
time  being  but  in  after-life.  Several  cases  are  known  where  the 
personal  interest  taken  in  the  members  of  these  clubs  by  their 
mates  has  urged  them  on  to  greater  endeavor,  and  has  made 
impossible  lapses  which  might  occur  when  no  sense  of  personal 
sympathy  is  felt. 

Of  an  influence  as  strong  but  very  different  are  the  literary 
clubs.  The  very  flower  of  education  is  the  ability  to  write  ade- 
quate and  intelligent  English,  and  a  very  difficult  art  it  is.  It  was 
to  develop  and  foster  talent  in  this  line  that  the  Monday  Club 
was  formed  by  Dr.  Boughton.  The  essays,  poems  and  stories  of 
the  young  authors  are  often  crude  but  nearly  always  exhibit  some 
kernel  of  originality  and  talent.  This  club  has  had  some  interest- 
ing public  meetings,  at  which  such  men  as  AA'ill  Carleton,  Charles 
]\I.  Skinner,  Herbert  F.  Gunnison,  Alexander  Black  and  others 
have  spoken. 

A\  hat  strikes  an  outsider  as  peculiar  in  the  economy  of  the 
school  is  the  degree  to  which  the  life  of  the  school  is  organized. 
The  number  of  clubs  and  societies  of  various  kinds  is  remarkable. 
One  might  think  that  the  spontaneous  charm  of  school  life  might 
be  eradicated  by  this  process  but  it  does  not  prove  so. 

Xow,  in  all  these  matters,  the  perspective  of  interest  for  the 
casual  reader  is  very  difficult  to  catch,  \\dien  it  was  decided  to 
prepare  a  history  of  old  Erasmus  Hall,  some  years  ago,  many 
queries  arose  about  many  interesting  points  to  which  no  answers 
could  be  found.  If  only  one  could  have  visited  the  old  school  in 
the  old  days,  and  seen  with  his  eyes  the  cjuaint  methods  of  former 
times ! 

It  is  perhaps  natural  to  wonder  what  the  inquirer  into  the 
history  of  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  if  he  were  to  live  in  the 
closing  days  of  this  century,  would  find  interesting  if  he  visited 
in  astral  body  the  school  as  it  is  to-day.  If  the  pedagogue  one 
hundred  vears  hence  differs  as  much  from  the  instructor  of  the 


154  Cl)raniclc.0  of  a2ra$mu$  l^all  I9igl)  ^^^cftool 

early  twentieth  century  as  the  latter  does  from  the  schoolmaster 
of  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth,  he  may  view  many  things 
with  a  superior  smile  on  his  fin-du-XXe-siecle  face,  but  in  the 
true  spirit  of  antiquarian  research  he  may  deign  to  be  interested 
in  some  few  matters. 

We  will  first  take  him  to  see  the  class-room  work,  and  will 
watch  with  anxiety  to  catch  what  his  impressions  of  our  poor 
primitive  methods  may  be.  Then,  for  variety,  to  the  huge 
play-ground  to  watch  the  tussle  of  the  boys  at  football  or  some 
exciting  track  events  such  as  the  hundred-yard  dash.  He  may 
conceivably  prefer  to  watch  our  girls  with  glowing  faces  playing 
at  basketball.  For  it  would  take  a  bold  man  to  undertake  to  fore- 
shadow the  state  of  the  woman  question  at  the  end  of  the  century. 
Perhaps  all  important  afifairs,  including  the  entire  world  of  ath- 
letics, will  be  exclusively  in  the  hands  of  what  has  been  mistakenly 
or  ironically  called  the  weaker  sex.  Xext  he  surely  will  be 
pleased  to  listen  to  the  melodic  felicities  of  the  orchestra,  while 
the  director  explains  that  his  task  is  like  that  of  Sisyphus,  for  no 
sooner  is  talent  developed  to  any  considerable  degree  than  it  is 
apt  to  take  itself  off,  diploma  in  hand.  We  explain  how  many 
programs  of  commencements,  plays,  etc.,  have  been  brightened  in 
a  musical  way  by  this  organization.  If  our  guest  prefers  a  pro- 
gram of  a  more  purely  popular  character,  and  may  be  interested 
from  an  historical  point  of  view  in  the  ''rag-time"  mode  in  music, 
we  will  take  him  off  to  a  concert  of  the  mandolin  and  glee  clubs, 
for  the  severely  classical  is  strictly  tabooed  in  these  clubs.  Per- 
haps in  this  old  Dutch  school  he  would  choose  to  attend  a  meeting 
of  the  Unter  Uns.  The  elocution  contests  or  the  debating  soci- 
eties would  surely  interest  our  anachronistic  guest,  for  probably 
nothing  varies  so  much  with  the  passage  of  time  as  modes  of 
rhetorical  expression.  Would  he  like  to  drop  into  the  Philately 
Club,  or  will  the  subject  of  stamps  cease  to  be  of  interest  in 
A.  D.  2000? 

Perhaps  our  astral  visitor  would  be  most  impressed  by  a  cer- 
tain spectacle  often  to  be  seen  on  fine  days.  A  sound  of  bells  is 
heard  in  every  room  in  hall  and  cottage.  At  the  re])etition  of  the 
signal  there  is  seen  to  issue  from  e\ery  mouth  of  each  building 
a  line  of  pupils,  coming  out  (juickl}',  ciuicll}'  and  in  order.  In  an 
astonishingly  short  time  the  buildings  are  entirely  empty.  This 
constitutes  what  is  known  as  a  tire  drill.  h^)rtunately,  no  fire  has 
ever  taken  ]:)lace  in  any  ])ortion  of  the  1)uildings  while  the  school 
was  in  session.     \\'1umi  the  fire  drill,  admirable  as  it  of  course  is, 


155 


Cl)ronicIe^  of  oEra^mu^  l^all  l^ig^  Mi^ool  157 

comes  just  at  the  climax  of  a  knotty  problem  in  algebra,  or  when 
some  experiment  in  physics  is  nearing  its  brilliant  finish,  or  when 
some  Greek  root  has  nearly  been  located  in  the  soil  of  antiquity, 
the  aghast  instructor  sometimes  notes  a  veiled  twinkle  of  relief 
in  the  eyes  of  the  scholars  as  they  rise  to  obey  the  summons  of 
the  bell.  AMien  all  the  pupils  are  quickly  assembled  either  before 
or  behind  the  building  it  is  an  inspiring  sight  to  look  down  into 
their  fresh  young  faces.  The  songs  of  the  assembled  school  are 
quite  effective  coming  as  they  do  from  sixteen  hundred  throats. 
For  years  this  has  constituted  the  only  auditorium  that  the  whole 
school  had — the  open  campus  in  the  open  air. 

At  last — shall  we  confess  it? — with  a  feeling  of  relief  we  send 
our  guest  out  on  one  of  the  fascinating  excursions  of  the  Science 
Club,  sure  that  he  will  be  thoroughly  entertained  and  edified. 

One  ventures  on  a  record  of  this  sort  with  a  certain  feeling  of 
doubt  and  reluctance,  for  it  is  expected  of  him  that  he  shall  not 
fall  into  the  Scylla  of  enumerating  in  a  merely  judicial  and  non- 
committal manner  a  mass  of  dry  details,  nor  must  he  incur  danger 
from  the  Charybdis  of  any  tendency  to  an  undue  enthusiasm  or 
a  suspicion  of  glorification.  It  is  all  the  more  difficult  where 
enthusiasm  stands  for  more  than  any  other  one  thing  in  the  story 
of  the  school's  progress.  Indifferent  neutrality  in  a  chronicle 
which  aims  at  something  more  than  mere  statistics  would  be 
disloyal  and  discordant. 

It  is  in  athletics  perhaps  that  this  enthusiasm  is  most  graphic- 
ally evident.  From  the  first  it  was  realized  that  the  new  school 
had  a  great  advantage  in  the  large  athletic  field  into  which  it 
could  set  free  its  boys  and  girls.  Nearly  all  boys  come  to  the 
high  school  with  a  normal  fondness  for  outdoor  sports.  All  real 
sport  develops  a  spirit  of  gentle-manhood  and  with  it  goes  that 
passion  for  justice  and  fair  play  which  is  natural  to  the  normal 
boy.  In  the  athletic  meets  with  other  schools  or  with  each  other 
the  boys  perceive  that  in  a  way  they  are  making  history.  The 
highest  skill  and  judgment  of  which  they  are  capable  must  be 
used.  They  must  be  resourceful,  sturdy  and  ready  to  play  their 
best,  no  matter  what  the  issue.  The  halls  of  the  old  school  are 
made  gay  with  various  brightly  colored  banners  representing 
prowess  in  different  branches  of  athletics.  Glass  cases  are  filled 
with  fair  shaped  silver  cups,  each  representing  some  event  hotly 
contested. 

Of  course  the  football  team  is  a  ''complicated  machine  of  infi- 
nite exactitude,"  and  not  all  boys  are  fitted  for  such  sport.     The 


158 


aif)roiuclc.0  of  a2ra0mu.0  l^all  Ifigf)  :t^cl)DDl 


same  is  the  case  with  other  "teams"  of  picked  men.  There  was 
danger  that  the  benefit  of  athletics,  that  of  physical  development 
and  relaxation  from  mental  work,  might  become  confined  to  the 
few.  It  was  suggested  that  perhaps  a  scheme  conld  be  devised 
whereby  cz'cry  boy,  big  or  little,  athletic  or  otherwise,  might 
become  interested.  This  led  to  the  institution  of  the  "Button 
Contests."  The  meaning  of  a  button  signifies  that  the  holder  has 
not  only  qualified  in  certain  prescribed  athletic  tests  but  that  he 
has  a  very  creditable  average  in  his  studies.  Different  degrees  of 
athletic  and  scholastic  ability  are  rewarded  by  bronze,  silver  or 
gold  buttons.  Each  boy  can  choose  the  lines  of  athletics  for 
which  he  has  the  greatest  aptitude.  This  contest  attracts  over 
seventy-five  per  cent,  of  all  the  boys,  few  of  whom  would  without 
this  scheme  ever  enter  athletics  or  receive  any  of  its  benefits. 
(See  Appendix.) 

The    offerings   of   the    Dramatic    Societ}-   have    always    been 


received  with  enthusiastic  appreciation,  and  some  very  creditable 
work  has  been  done.  Some  of  the  plays  which  have  been  pre- 
sented are  "As  You  Like  It"  (in  part  ),  "The  Rivals"  (twice),  ''She 
Stoops  to  Conquer,"  "The  Critic."  "David  Garrick,"  ''Pygmalion 
and  Galatea,"  and  the  "Ulysses"  of  Stephen  Phillips  (in  part).  An 
experiment  was  tried  in  1901,  which  was  j^erhaps  not  without 
interest  as  being  the  natural  outcome  of  a  class-room  attempt  to 
prove  to  pupils  that  Greek,  though  a  dead  language,  had  once 
been  a  very  live  one.  A  dramatization  of  various  spirited  episodes 
in  the  Anabasis  and  Cyropsedia  was  prepared  and  under  the  title 
"The  Treachery  and  Trial  of  Orontas"  was  presented  by  some 
seventy  pupils  of  the  school.  ]\Iusic  from  the  Mendelssohn  set- 
ting of  "Antigone:"  from  Dr.  Parry's  setting  to  "Agamemnon;" 
the  hymn  to  Apollo,  composed  in  the  third  century  F).  C  were 
used,  and  Greek  dances  were  introduced  inci<lentally. 

In  September.   1898,  a  large  addition  to  the  teaching  force  of 
the  Department  of  English  made  possible  and  ])racticable  the  full 


€^to\ndc0  of  €ra^mu0  l^all  Ifigf)  :f>cf)ool 


159 


development  of  the  course  of  study  in  English.  A\'hilc  the  work 
for  each  grade  was  shaping,  especially  in  composition,  the  feeling 
became  general  in  the  department,  encouraged  by  the  enthusiastic 
support  of  the  Principal,  that  the  work  in  composition,  for  each 
term  should  be  supplemented  by  a  theme  of  considerable  length, 
to  be  developed  through  the  different  stages  of  rough  draft,  out- 
line and  completed  essay,  and  to  be  submitted  in  the  last  weeks 
of  the  term  as  the  result  of  the  individual  study  and  research  of 
each  pupil.  For  the  purpose  of  classification  this  theme  was 
given  the  name — Term  Essay. 


Group  from  the  Greek  Play 


The  general  plan  of  the  work  is  as  follows :  The  essay  for 
each  term  illustrates  the  class-room  work  in  composition  for  that 
term.  First  grade  pupils  write  narration  ;  second  grade,  narra- 
tion or  description  ;  third  grade,  exposition ;  fourth  grade,  argu- 
ment ;  fifth  grade,  any  form  of  composition ;  sixth  grade,  more 
carefully  developed  expositions ;  and  seventh  grade,  advanced 
argument.  Eighth  grade  (Seniors)  pupils  are  excused  from  this 
work,  owing  to  the  increased  amount   of  work  in   composition 


i6o  Cf^ronicle^  of  OBra^mui^  l^all  l^igl^  :§cftDoI 

required  of  them  in  preparation  for  their  examination  in  Enghsh 
for  graduation.  The  length  of  the  theme  is  placed  at  800  words 
for  the  first  year,  1,000  words  for  the  second,  1,200  words  for  the 
third,  and  1,400  words  for  the  fourth.  Early  in  the  term  each 
pupil  presents  a  topic  for  the  approval  of  the  teacher.  During 
the  following  month  he  collects  his  material  and  submits  a  rough 
draft  or  outline,  which  is  carefully  criticised.  AA'ith  this  cor- 
rected draft  he  works  out  the  completed  essay  and  submits  it  as 
his  work  in  written  English  for  credits  on  his  third  report.  The 
most  interesting  phase  of  the  essay  follows,  and  that  which  is  the 
great  stimulus  to  good,  conscientious  work.  These  themes  are 
carefully  read  by  the  English  teachers,  who  select  the  best  two 
in  each  grade  and  turn  them  over  to  a  committee  of  teachers  from 
other  departments  in  the  school.  This  committee  selects  the  best 
eight.  These  eight  themes  are  read  by  some  person  in  no  way 
connected  with  the  school,  who  selects  the  best,  the  second,  and 
the  third.  In  recognition  of  this  final  classification  and  as  a 
reward,  Mr.  Richard  Young,  a  warm  friend  of  the  school,  estab- 
lished what  are  known  as  the  Young  Medals.  A  solid  gold  medal 
for  the  best  essay,  a  silver  for  the  second,  and  a  bronze  for  the 
third  in  rank. 

Another  feature  of  this  work  in  theme  writing  is  the  attention 
given  to  the  covers.  Each  pupil  must  submit  a  cover  design 
appropriate  to  the  subject  matter,  and  receives  in  recognition  of 
this  work,  judged  in  a  similar  w-ay,  a  silver  medal  for  the  best 
cover  and  a  bronze  for  second  best. 

In  the  fall  of  1903  a  committee  was  organized,  with  Dr.  Hub- 
bell  as  chairman,  to  provide  lectures  and  entertainments  for  the 
school.  Almost  since  the  beginning  of  Erasmus  Hall's  history  as 
a  public  high  school,  visitors  had  been  frequent  who  talked  on 
topics  of  art,  literature  and  science  to  the  faculty  and  teachers, 
and  it  was  thought  that  now  that  the  school  was  firmly  estab- 
lished in  the  life  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn,  it  would  be  an  easy 
thing  to  persuade  men  and  women  of  prominence  to  lecture  to 
the  students.  Since  1904  Dr.  Hubbell  has  not  been  connected 
with  the  lecture  committee,  but  the  work  that  he  inaugurated 
has  been  continued  by  an  efficient  committee  of  five,  of  which  ^Ir. 
O'Brien  has  been  chairman.  The  entertainments  and  lectures 
have  covered  a  wide  field  and  have  served  to  stimulate  the  stu- 
dents to  better  work  in  all  departments  of  school  work.  Lectures 
on  literature,  science,  history,  travel,  nuisic,  and  entertainments 


Cl)roniclc$  of  OBraemu.i^  l^all  l^igl)  ^ci^ool  i6i 

by  the  several  literary  and  musical  clubs  of  the  school,  have  been 
given  each  vear.  and  the  attendance  at  the  lectures  and  entertain- 
ments has  averaged  for  each  year  for  twenty  entertainments  an 
aggregate  of  about  3,000. 

It  may  be  a  matter  of  wonder  and  conjecture  as  to  how  all 
this  various  mass  of  school  organization  is  supported.  The  mat- 
ter has  been  arranged  in  a  comparatively  simple  and  satisfactory 
way  by  adopting  a  system  which  has  since  been  employed  under 
various  names  by  numerous  other  schools — that  of  the  General 
Organization.  This  constitutes  the  financial  system  of  the  school. 
Membership  in  this  organization  is  open  to  any  one  in  the  school 
upon  the  payment  of  twenty-five  cents  each  semester.  The  mem- 
bership certificate  entitles  the  holder  to  the  privilege  of  member- 
ship in  any  club  to  which  he  may  be  elected,  without  the  payment 
of  further  dues.  Begun  in  the  fall  of  1897  with  a  membership  of 
about  four  hundred,  it  soon  rose  to  a  membership  of  over  fifteen 
hundred,  the  membership  averaging  over  ninety  per  cent,  of  the 
entire  enrollment.  Aside  from  its  membership  dues  a  large 
amount  of  monev  is  derived  from  the  sale  of  tickets  at  grames  and 
dramatic  entertainments,  the  latter  being  given  free  by  the  Dra- 
matic Society  to  members  of  the  organization.  Out  of  these 
revenues  it  is  possible  to  fully  equip  all  the  athletic  clubs  and 
societies  without  any  expense  to  the  members  of  these  organiza- 
tions. There  are  at  present  twenty-seven  sub-organizations  in 
the  school,  all  receiving  some  support  from  the  General  Organi- 
zation. This  organization  also  acts  as  trustee  for  all  moneys 
raised  by  the  school  in  connection  with  commencement,  class  day 
and  junior  promenade.  It  is  even  the  proud  possessor  of  china 
ware,  glassware  and  silverware,  which  it  furnishes  to  receptions, 
etc.,  given  by  any  of  its  sub-organizations. 

The  effect  of  the  multiple  life  in  this  school  is  almost  that  of  a 
busy  university.  A\'e  can  imagine  it  adopting  as  its  motto  that 
saying  of  Bacon's,  ''God  only  and  the  angels  may  be  spectators." 
The  aim  is  to  give  free  play  and  opportunity  for  any  possible 
taste  and  talent  a  boy  or  girl  may  have.  Nearly  every  man,  even 
a  cultured  and  educated  man,  finds  some  side  of  his  nature  which 
is  practically  undeveloped.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  see  a  man 
whose  intellect  is  developed  to  the  very  highest  degree  so  that  it 
is  a  marvellous  instrument,  feeling,  for  instance,  the  appeal  of  music 
no  more  than  the  veriest  savage ;  Huxley  confesses  that  he  lost 
entirely,  through  intensity  of  concentration,  the  taste  for  poetry 

II 


i62  €i^tomtlt^  of  €ra^mu.0  l^all  l^igl)  ^cJ)odI 

he  once  possessed.  The  thought  in  this  school  has  been  to  give 
an  opportunity  for  the  development  of  any  latent  taste.  In  these 
days  of  specialization  such  a  course  is  especially  desirable.  We 
have  but  five  senses  but  these  may  be  practically  multiplied 
indefinitely  by  careful  training.  And  it  is  when  one  is  young  that 
one  walks  in  the  gardens  of  life  and  plucks  the  flowers  which 
make  a  whole  life  fragrant.  It  is  not  merely  in  graveyards, 
unfortunately,  that  one  finds  a  "mute  inglorious  ]\Iilton,"  but 
among  those  who  have  felt  the  nunibing  influence  of  lost  oppor- 
tunities. There  is  infinite  pathos  in  such  might-have-beens. 
Elwin  wrote,  "Men  seldom  become  masters  in  any  department  of 
knowledge  unless  they  have  learnt  the  rudiments  of  it  in  their 
youth.     Taste  in  literature  is  acquired  before  twenty." 

The  original  library  which  had  been  bequeathed  by  Erasmus 
Hall  Academy  to  Erasmus  Hall  High  School  consisted  of  about 
six  hundred  and  fifty  volumes.  The  books  of  science,  though  use- 
less as  information,  were  interesting  as  showing  the  wide  strides 
that  science  has  taken  within  the  century,  and  representing  the 
naive  sort  of  guesses  that  unscientific  science  books  made  in  the 
old  days.  A  copy  of  Johnson's  Dictionary,  the  Bayle  Dictionary, 
an  old  translation  of  Tacitus,  a  unique  geometry  with  graphic 
models  as  illustrations,  a  Brooklyn  Directory  for  the  year  1826, 
and  a  weather  record  for  the  years  1826- 1858,  might  also  be 
mentioned  as  interesting. 

The  library  was  soon  increased  by  about  1,500  books,  which 
had  belonged  to  the  Flatbush  School  Library.  Dr.  Homer  L. 
Bartlett  and  'Mr.  John  Z.  Lott,  trustees  for  the  library  of  School 
District  Xo.  i,  as  they  had  no  fund  to  care  for  these  books  relin- 
quished them  to  the  Board  of  Education,  and  the  Board  in  turn 
transferred  them  to  Erasmus  Hall.  From  funds  furnished  by  the 
Regents  and  by  the  Board  numerous  valuable  books  have  been 
added  from  time  to  time  until  now  the  library  contains  nearly 
seven  thousand  books.  Recently  a  number  of  valuable  old  books 
have  been  given  to  the  library  by  Dr.  John  ^\.  Ferris.  Arrange- 
ments are  being  made  to  house  this  library  adequately  in  the  new 
building. 

Aside  from  the  gifts  of  books,  otlicr  va1ua1)le  gifts  have  been 
made  to  the  school.  Air.  Richard  Young  lias  gi\cn  to  the  school 
generously  in  various  ways  and  has  presented  it  with  a  number 
of  handsome  pictures,  consisting  principally  of  classical  subjects  ; 
Mr.  Davis  gave  a  large  i)icture  of  the  Acropolis  ;   the  faculty  and 


(  HOLBEIN-LOUVRE    GALLERY.  ) 


Desiderius  Erasmus 


163 


Cfjroniclcg  of  OEraeniu^  l^all  i^igf)  ^cf)ooI 


i6n 


>,2^      ^^^^^^M^ 

'A 

4 

# 

1 

Air.  Young-  have  pre- 
sented the  school  with 
a  copy  in  oil  of  the 
famous  Holbein  head 
o  f  Erasmus  hanging 
in  the  Louvre;  the 
faculty  has  also  given 
to  the  school  a  por- 
trait of  ]\lr.  Young 
painted  by  ]\Jr.  Joseph 
Boston,  and  a  portrait 
of  Dr.  Gunnison 
painted  by  Air.  John 
W.Alexander,  A.N.A. ; 
Miss  AI  a  r  y  Young 
gave  a  fine  photograph 
of  Dr.  Thomas  Arnold, 
of  Rugby ;  and  Mrs. 
Zabriskie  gave  the  old 
school-bell.  The  list 
would  not  be  complete 
unless  we  mentioned  the  very  generous  donations  of  the  late 
Air.  Henry  W.  Maxwell  to  the  school. 

In  the  fall  of  1898  a  school  paper,  "The  Erasmian,"  was  started 
under  the  editorship  of  Air.  Willis  Earle.  Previous  to  this,  space 
in  the  "High  School  Recorder"  had  been  given  for  Erasmus  Hall 
news.  The  interest  shown  in  these  items  led  to  the  establishment 
of  the  independent  paper.  It  w^as  a  success  from  the  start.  Here 
the  busy  life  of  the  school  was  mirrored.  It  is  impossible  in  a 
short  compass  to  give  a  taste  of  its  quality,  but  one  or  two 
extracts  with  a  touch  of  ''local  color"  may  be  found  interesting: 


J.  W.  Alexander's  Portrait  of  Dr.  Gunnison 


The  Old  School  Bell 


i66 


OTftcDnicIca  of  a2ra.$mus?  l^all  i^iglj  :§fl)ool 


^  Jf  resifjinan  Catecfjisim. 

Q.  What  is  your  name? 

A.  Little   I  A. 

Q.  Who  gave  you  this  name? 

A.  ]\liss  Turner  and  Dr.  Gunnison  on  entering. 

Q.  What  did  they  then  do  for  you? 

A.  They  gave  unto  me  a  Latin  book  and  adjured  me  to  study  three  hours 
at  night,  come  early,  and  never  drop  Latin. 

Q.  Dost  thou  not  think  thou  art  bound  to  believe  and  to  do  as  they  have 
requested  of  thee? 

A.  Inasmuch  as  I  may  thereby  obtain  the  required  seventy  per  month,  I  do 
so  think. 


Noon  Recess  at  Erasmus  Hall 


Q.  Who  made  you  ? 

A.  The  omnipotent  Senior,  for  his  own  good  pleasure  and  intinite  amuse- 
ment, did  create  me. 

Q.  Rehearse  the  articles  of  thy  belief. 
A.  I  believe  in  the  Faculty  and  the  Assistant  Principal,  who  doth  bring 
judgment  alike  on  cutters  and  grinds.  I  believe  in  the  Course  of  Study,  and 
the  Maxwell  Examinations.  I  believe  in  the  General  Organization,  the 
glorious  attainments  of  the  Football  Team,  the  Dramatic  Society,  the  com- 
pletion of  the  New  Building,  and  the  Lunch  Room  Pie  and  Sandwiches. 
Amen. 

Q.  What  dost  thou  chiefly  learn  from  these  articles  of  thy  belief? 

A.  According  to  rule   established,   the   h'reshman   is  as  grass,  yea   verily, 
as  green  grass,  and  his  days  are  numbered  by  the  blue  report  and  yellow  slip. 

Q.  What  are  those  commandments  which  thy  sponsors  did  require  of  thee? 

A.  They  are  ten  in  number. 

1.  Thou  shalt  on  all  occasions  exalt  Erasmus  Hall. 

2.  Thou  shalt  not   sport  the  colors  of  any  other  prep  school   whatsoever. 


Cfjronicle"^  of  aBra.0mus?  l^all  l^igl)  ^^cftool 


167 


3.  Thou  shalt  consider  diligently  the  Athletic  Notes  in  The  Erasmian  to 
thy   great   edification   and  instruction. 

4.  Remember  the  Music  period  and  do  not  rough-house,  or  thou  shalt  be 
sent  to  the  Doctor,  and  there  shall  be  wailing  and  gnashing  of  teeth. 

5.  Honor  thy  teachers  and  obey  them,  that  thy  general  average  may  wax 
fat  and  flourish. 

6.  Thou  shalt  not  cut. 

7.  Thou  shalt  not  fail  to  subscribe  to  The  Erasmian. 


The  Cover  of  The  Erasmian 


8.  Thou  shalt  not  acquire  three  late  slips  a  month. 

9.  Thou  shalt  not  let  thyself  be  rushed  by  Fraternities. 

10.  Thou  shalt  not  covet  thy  neighbor's  desk,  nor  his  pad,  nor  his  pencil. 
Thou  shalt  not  covet  th}-  neighbor's  books,  nor  his  frat-pin,  nor  anything  that 
is  thy  neighbor's. 

Q.  What  dost  thou  chiefly  learn  by  these  commandments? 
A.  My  duty  to  the  Faculty  and  to  my  neighbor. 


168  arf)ronicIe!5  of  €rasmui^  l^all  I^igf)  :t>c{)ooI 

Q.  What  is  thy  duty  to  the  Faculty? 

A.  That  I  shall  at  all  times  give  heed  unto  their  commandments  when  they 
are  on  my  side  of  the  room. 

Q.  What  is  thy  duty  to  thy  neighbor? 

A.  That  I  shall  not  steal  his  pads  while  he  is  looking,  nor  place  his  over- 
shoes on  the  transom,  nor  stuff  his  gloves  with  chalk. 

Q.  What  is  the  chief  end  of  man? 

A.  To  join  the  Debating  Societ3^ 

Q.  What  is  the  chief  end  of  woman? 

A.  To  join  a  Fraternity  and  be  in  the  Yellocution  Contest. 


J^otD  bo  tfjep  go  boton  to  Unnti)  at  tfje  J^all? 

How  do  they  go  down  to  lunch  at  the  Hall? 
A  rushing  and  surging  and  prancing. 
And  lurching  and  sliding  and  dancing. 
And  crowding  and  pushing  and  slamming, 
And   spilling  and   jumping   and   jamming. 
And  throwing  and  banging  and  running, 
And  dashing  and  tumbling  and  humming. 
And  laughing  and  shouting  and  chasing, 
And  shoving  and  yelling  and  racing. 
This  way  they  go  down  to  lunch  at  the  Hall. 

A  pleasant  variation  from  the  ordinary  class-room  work  has 
been  found  in  a  modernized  and  modified  version  of  the  old  spell- 
ing bee,  which  has  been  used  with  success  in  the  Latin  and 
Mathematics  departments.  Questions  have  been  so  arranged  that 
each  could  be  answered  briefly.  These  have  been  searching  and 
exhaustive,  and  a  very  considerable  knowledge  has  often  been 
shown  by  those  remaining  up  till  the  last.  This  exercise  furnishes 
an  excellent  example  of  the  survival  of  the  fittest.  The  class  win- 
ning the  most  points  received  a  banner,  and  the  one  holding  out 
till  the  end,  a  medal.  Of  similar  interest  have  been  the  inter-class 
debates  in  the  history  department,  where  a  most  creditable 
amount  of  knowledge  and  interest  has  been  shown  by  the  young 
debaters. 

A  very  delightful  custom  has  been  instituted  of  having  the 
alumni  meet  for  a  big  informal  conference,  a  day  or  two  before 
Christmas  each  year.  Back  they  troop  from  their  colleges  or 
work  in  large  numbers.  The  very  time  seems  to  have  been  well 
chosen,  for  a  holiday  flavor  pervades  the  entire  affair.  It  is  after 
all  largely  by  the  alumni  that  a  school  nmst  be  judged.  No  mat- 
ter how  fair  a  rose  bush  may  be,  if  it  does  not  bear  beautiful 


Cf)ronicle.0  of  €ra.0mu0  l^all  l^igl;  ^c{)odI  169 

blossoms  it  has  lived  in  vain.  One  cannot  but  be  impressed  by 
the  very  remarkable  feeling  of  affection  shown  by  the  alumni 
towards  "old  Erasmus."  Such  a  meeting  is  a  good  thing  all 
around.  It  is  good  for  the  faculty  in  refreshing  them  with  the 
thought  that  their  endeavors  have  borne  some  pleasant  fruit  at 
least ;  it  is  good  for  the  graduates  in  making  it  possible  to  renew 
old  friendships  and  to  compare  notes  on  their  young  impressions 
of  an  old  world  ;  it  is  good  for  those  undergraduates  who  are 
present  to  hear  from  the  college  world  and  from  that  wider  life 
into  which  they  are  to  step  so  soon. 

To  many  people  a  teacher,  whether  he  be  found  in  college  or 
secondary  school,  means  an  anomalous  being  whose  name  is 
hedged  in  by  a  bodyguard  of  letters  implying  the  acquisition  of 
all  kinds  of  unnecessary  and  unpractical  knowledge.  To  many 
more  the  life  of  a  teacher  appears  peculiarly  dull  and  unexciting. 
New  books,  new  apparatus,  new  material  in  the  shape  of  the 
unique  pupil — these  are  the  events,  these  the  stuff*  of  which  his 
quiet  life  is  made  up.  But  who  shall  say  that  a  book  may  not 
become  the  most  startling  event  in  the  life  of  a  man,  or  that  the 
fresh  intellect  of  youth  may  not  be  more  stimulating  than  more 
spectacular  matters?  Life  for  the  teacher  at  Erasmus  Hall  has 
not  been  without  its  compensations,  though  it  is  somewhat  out  of 
the  broad  current  of  metropolitan  life.  The  absence  of  red-tape 
and  of  a  fussy  and  officious  interference  in  natural  and  individual 
methods  of  teaching,  tends  to  a  hearty  enthusiasm  in  the  work. 
The  social  life  of  the  faculty  has  been  enlivened  and  deepened 
by  a  series  of  dinners  held  annually.  These  dinners  have  been 
decidedly  original  in  conception,  and  pleasant  in  the  performance. 
Each  has  been  a  progressive  dinner,  the  aim  being  to  promote 
opportunities  for  sociability.  The  first  one,  with  Dr.  Gunnison  as 
toastmaster,  was  held  at  the  Clarendon,  December  9,  1898.  The 
toasts  carried  out  the  conceit  indicated  in  the  title,  "From  our 
Librar}'  Shelves."  Some  of  the  titles  were  suggestive:  "Looking 
Backward,"  "Great  Expectations,"  "Through  One  Administra- 
tion," "Reveries  of  a  Bachelor"  and  ''The  Lay  of  the  Last  Min- 
strel." The  second  dinner  was  held  January  26,  1900,  with  Air. 
J.  Herbert  Low  as  toastmaster.  "A  Little  Journey  into  the 
World"  was  the  subject  for  the  toasts.  The  third  dinner  occurred 
December  14,  1900,  at  the  ]\Iontauk  Club.  The  toasts  formed  an 
''Erasmus  Extra,"  with  Aliss  Anna  H.  Adams  as  managing  editor, 
and  the  motto,  "All  the  news  that's  not  in  print."     On  January 


170 


Cfjronicle.s  of  Craamu^  l^all  l^igl)  ^cl)ool 


10,  1902.  at  the  Midwood  Club,  was  held  the  fourth  annual  din- 
ner; subject,  "'Round  the  Camp  Fire;"  officer  of  the  day.  Dr. 
Charles  S.  Estes.  An  interesting  episode  of  this  dinner  was  the 
presentation  to  the  school  by  the  faculty  of  a  large  oil  painting-  of 
Mr.  Richard  Young. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  dinners  of  the  series  was  held  at 
the  Hanover  Club  on  December  15,  1902.  The  effect,  as  one  en- 
tered the  room,  of  the  tables  lighted  only  with  Greek  lamps,  was 
striking.  But  the  surprise  of  the  evening  was  a  series  of  lantern 
slides,  satirizing  amiably  the  hobbies  and  foibles  of  various  mem- 
bers of  the  faculty.  The  toastmaster  for  this  extremely  pleasant 
evening  was  Dr.  von  Xardroft". 

At  the  same  place,  on  Lincoln's  Birthday,  February  12.  1903, 
was  held  the  sixth  dinner  of  the  series.  The  feature  of  this  din- 
ner was  an  original  play  or  skit  entitled,  "A  Pedagogue  in  Spite 
of  Himself ;  A  ]^Iidwinter  Night's  Absurdity."  The  chairman  of 
the  committee  was  Mr.  Harter. 

The  next  dinner  was  held  at  the  Kings  County  Democratic 
Club,  on  the  evening  of  February  25,  1905.  The  speaker  of  the 
evening  was  Dr.  James  H.  Canfield,  of  Columbia  University.  An 
interesting  feature  of  the  evening  was  the  presentation  on  behalf 
of  the  faculty  of  the  portrait  of  Dr.  Gunnison,  painted  by  Mr.  John 
W.  Alexander.    The  master  of  ceremonies  was  i\Ir.  Willis  Earle. 

The  eighth  annual  dinner  was  held  at  the  Assembly  on  Pierre- 
pont  Street,  on  February  17,  1906,  under  the  direction  of  Miss 
^lary  H.  Holmes.  A  burlesque  "Chapel  Exercise"  proved  very 
diverting. 

Xot  only  in  a  social  way  have  the  teachers  banded  together. 
They  have  a  local  Science  Club ;  a  Latin  Club,  which  has  read 
Horace,  Plautus,  Terence,  Catullus,  the  Younger  Pliny,  and 
Tacitus;    a  Greek  Club,  devoting  itself  to  Homer. 

A  successful  combination  of  the  social  and  scholastic  has  been 
found  in  a  series  of  receptions  given  by  the  different  departments 
to  the  teachers  of  the  city  interested  in  the  various  subjects.  The 
first  meeting  was  given  1)\-  the  English  department,  the  guest  of 
the  exening  being  Mr.  lulward  Markham,  who  read  several 
original  ])ocms  ;  then  followed  the  histor}-  department,  with  ])v. 
Truman  J.  Backus  and  Dr.  j.  Coleman  Adams  as  guests  of  honor; 
then  the  classical  (k'])artment,  with  \)r.  Harry  Thurston  Peck  as 
guest ;  the  mathematical  department  entertained  as  guest  Pro- 
fessor Da\'id  luigene  Smith,  of  Columbia  University;   the  science 


Miss  Kate  E.  Turner 


171 


€i^tonitlt^  of  €ra"^muj^  I^all  l^ig^  ^c^ool  173 

department,  Professor  Garrett  P.  Serviss ;  the  department  of 
modern  languages,  Dr.  Heinrich  Conried,  of  the  Irving  Place 
Theatre  and  Metropolitan  Opera  House ;  the  art  department, 
with  Mr.  Frederic  B.  Crowninshield,  President  of  the  Municipal 
Arts  Society,  as  guest.  A  second  reception  has  been  held  by  the 
English  department,  at  which  Irving  Bacheller  was  the  guest  of 
honor. 

A  department  which  has  done  much  for  the  progress  and  repu- 
tation of  the  school  is  the  art  department.  Its  different  studies 
are  as  distinct  and  individual  as  may  be,  but  all  add  to  the  sum 
total  of  the  artistic  impulse  felt  throughout  the  school.  This 
tribute  printed  in  the  ''School  Journal"  comes  from  the  St.  Louis 
Exposition :  ''When  speaking  of  the  boroughs  of  Manhattan  and 
the  Bronx  and  Queens,  I  should  have  added  that  Erasmus  Hall 
High  School,  Brooklyn,  shows  the  best  art  w^ork  of  any  Eastern 
high  school."  Not  only  is  the  chairman  of  the  department,  Mr. 
Allen  B.  Doggett,  an  accomplished  artist  with  the  pencil  and 
brush,  but  with  the  camera  also.  In  the  first  decade  of  the  high 
school,  we  have  what  might  almost  be  styled  an  illustrated 
biography  of  its  life,  thanks  to  his  endeavors.  While  on  the 
subject  of  art,  it  is  of  interest  to  recall  the  loan  of  famous  paint- 
ings of  American  artists,  entirely  filling  the  two  great  studio 
rooms,  made  in  1900  by  Mr.  William  S.  Hurley,  a  consistent  and 
helpful  friend  of  the  school. 

Not  only  the  pupils  but  the  public  were  admitted  to  see  these 
examples  of  the  work  of  such  artists  as  George  Innes,  F.  S. 
Church,  George  H.  McCord,  Walter  Shirlow  and  Bruce  Crane. 
By  two  of  these  artists,  Mr.  McCord  and  Mr.  Crane,  interesting 
talks  on  art  were  given  before  the  pupils  during  which  landscapes 
were  painted,  entirely  characteristic  of  the  artists,  though  painted 
in  a  very  few  moments. 

Rather  a  striking  innovation  for  a  high  school  in  New  York 
City  was  the  introduction  of  the  system  of  promotion  by  sub- 
jects, a  scheme  subsequently  adopted  by  many  schools  of  the 
city.  No  pupil  was  kept  back  in  a  subject  in  which  he  had  done 
satisfactory  work  because  he  had  failed  in  other  subjects,  unless 
indeed,  his  average  of  scholarship  was  notably  bad.  This  plan 
necessitated  a  great  deal  of  care  in  the  preparation  of  programs, 
as  the  school  grew  in  numbers  and  the  curriculum  broadened. 
Especially  as  the  pupil  neared  graduation  did  the  matter  become 
complicated.    Much  credit  is  due  to  the  clear-headed  and  system- 


1/4  €f)ronicle,0  of  €raj^mu.s  l^all  l^igl)  :f>cI)ooI 

atic  method  of  the  Assistant  Principal,  Aliss  Kate  E.  Turner,  in 
the  successful  carrying  out  of  this  scheme. 

In  the  list  of  those  who  have  made  addresses  at  the  gradua- 
tion exercises  of  the  school  are  to  be  found  such  names  as  Theo- 
dore C.  Search,  President  of  the  National  Association  of  ]\Ianu- 
facturers  ;  Dr.  St.  Clair  AIcKelway;  Dr.  Truman  J.  Backus,  of 
the  Packer  Collegiate  Institute  ;  Dr.  J.  Coleman  Adams  ;  Martin 
\V.  Littleton,  Borough  President,  and  Dr.  George  A.  Ilubbell,  of 
Berea  College. 

An  interesting  exercise  took  place  on  the  front  lawn  of  the 
school  on  May  26,  1903.  The  occasion  Avas  the  celebration  of  the 
two  hundred  and  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  charter  of  Xew  York. 
The  program  was  as  follows : 

Song,  "America" B\'  the  School 

Address,  "New  York" Hon.  Richard  Young 

Address,  "Emerson" Dr.  Geo.  A.  Hnbbell 

Recitation,  "Concord  Hymn" Miss  Gertrude  Taylor 

Song,  "Erasmus  Hall" By  the  School 

But  an  occasion  of  much  more  local  interest  and  one  which 
had  been  looked  forward  to  for  years,  was  the  laying  of  the 
corner-stone  of  the  new  building  on  January  18,  1905.  At  last  the 
promises  of  the  city,  and  the  hopes  of  the  friends  of  the  school 
were  fulfilled.  Plans  had  been  adopted  for  a  series  of  buildings 
illustrating  various  distinct  periods  of  architecture,  from  ancient 
Greek  to  the  scholastic  Gothic  of  the  seventh  century,  and  the 
first  section  would  soon  be  completed.  This  wing  forms  part  of 
the  facade  of  what  wdll  be  the  largest  preparatory  institution  in 
the  country.  It  will  probably  be  ten  years,  however,  before  the 
last  stone  is  laid.  It  is  not  hard  to  imagine,  wdien  from  some  side 
street  in  Flatbush  one  catches  through  the  trees  a  sight  of  the 
new  tower  as  it  raises  its  gray  loveliness  into  the  air,  that  one  is 
looking  at  one  of  the  old  buildings  at  Oxford  or  at  l'heli)s  ITall  at 
Yale.  The  first  section  is  to  contain  a  large  assembly  hall  with 
a  seating  capacity  of  sixteen  hundred  ;  this  will  be  furnished  with 
a  large  pipe  organ. 

The  following  letter  from  the  architect.  Air.  C.  P).  Snyder,  will 
give  an  idea  of  the  intended  treatment  of  the  new  building: 


HALL   OF   EDUCATION,, 

Park  Avenue  and  59th  Street. 

^,      T-    ^,.    fT  New  York,  March   16,   1906. 

A  In.  I'-.  \\  .  I  Tarter  : 

Di-.Ak    Sir:     'J'here    is   an   old    sa\ing    wliich    hohls   tliat    '"Xcccssily    is   the 

mother   of    invention,"    which    is    mainly    a    short,    concise    way    of    assigning 

a  reason  for  all  human  dcvelopnienl  along  material  lines. 


I?^ 


€t^tomclt$  of  €ra.i9?mu^  l^all  i^XQt^  c&cfjool  177 

It  applies  as  well  to  the  farmer,  without  the  ready  recourse  of  the  store 
or  shop ;  to  the  artisan  and  mechanic,  who  seeks  some  new  or  more  economi- 
cal method  of  accomplishing  results;  and  even  to  the  architect,  who  is  called 
upon  to  solve  a  problem  along  new  lines. 

Thus  it  was  with  the  new  Erasmus  Hall  High  School. 

The  writer  was  called  before  the  Committee  on  High  and  Training 
Schools  and  asked  if  he  could  design  a  building  for  the  school : 

First — The  cost  of  which  would  not  exceed  $300,000. 

Second — That  the  construction  thereof  should  not  disturb  the  occupancy 
of  the  present  group  of  frame  buildings  at  the  center  and  rear  of  the 
plot  constituting  the  school ;  and 

Third — That  the  design  and  plan  should  be  such  that  this  first  portion 
built  would  in  itself  be  complete  and  yet  a  part  of  a  scheme  which, 
when  completed,  would  afford  accommodations  for  as  many  pupils 
as  Erasmus  Hall  High  School  might  at  any  time  in  the  future  be  called 
upon  to  receive. 

The  crowded  condition  of  the  mass  or  aggregation  of  frame  buildings 
constituting  the  present  school,  many  rooms  in  which  are  unfit  for  school 
purposes,  absolutely  demanded  relief.  But  there  were  no  buildings  in  the 
district  which  could  be  hired  and  in  which  the  students  could  be  placed  until 
the  new  building  could  be  constructed.  Had  this  been  possible,  the  result 
would  have  been,  without  doubt,  a  high  school  building  along  lines  familiar 
to  all. 

A  careful  study  of  the  matter  convinced  me  that  after  all  it  was  a  good 
thing  for  the  future  school  that  the  present  one  could  not  be  disturbed, 
for  therein  lay  the  suggestion  for  a  design  unique  in  high  schools  of  the 
country. 

The  block  plan  reproduced  herein*  illustrates  what  it  is  hoped  can  be 
carried  out.  A  quadrangle  enclosed  by  buildings  devoted  to  various  depart- 
ments of  the  school  work. 

The  former  residential  character  of  the  neighborhood  about  the  school 
is  undergoing  a  rapid  transformation  into  a  business  center. 

This  was  duly  recognized,  but  the  peculiarity  of  the  deed  of  gift  and  the 
value  of  the  plot  as  it  lay  ready  for  use,  while  a  proposed  change  of  site — 
which  would  mean  years  of  delay — rendered  a  change  to  another  locality, 
where  perhaps  more  quiet  could  be  secured,  an  impossibility  unless  the  school 
was  to  cease  its  growth  and  refuse  for  several  years  to  come,  to  care  for  the 
students  who  would  demand  admittance. 

The  buildings,  therefore,  have  been  designed  as  a  screen  across  the  end 
of  the  quadrangle,  shutting  out  the  noise  and  confusion  of  Flatbush  Avenue 
traffic,  the  only  entrance  being  through  the  large  arch  under  the  tower,  which 
is  placed  on  the  axis  of  the  longer  dimension  of  the  plot. 

As  the  old  school  had  never  had  an  adequate  assembly  hall  or  room, 
one  of  the  features  of  the  first  portion  of  the  new  structure  was  designed 
to  overcome  this  lack  of  a  most  essential  utility  in  school  life.  This, 
as  designed,  would  be  called  a  chapel  were  it  part  of  a  college,  but 
if  we  may  not  aspire  to  this,  3^et  I   have  thought  that  it  might  be  known 

*  See  page  191. 

12 


1/8  €f)ronicIej^  of  Erasmus?  l^all  l^igJ)  ^cfjool 

as  "the  Hall."  As  such  the  endeavor  has  been  to  design  a  harmonious, 
impressive  room,  in  a  style  permeated  with  history  and  romance ;  a  place 
which,  of  all  others,  will  stand  out  clearly  in  the  loving  memory  of  the 
student  in  after  years  for  his  Alma  Mater.  Its  walls,  columns  and  arches 
should  bear  the  trophies  won  in  athletic  and  scholastic  contests,  there  to  be 
preserved  and  handed  down  as  a  part  of  the  glorious  history  of  the  school. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  utiHtarian  uses  to  which  the  "Hall"'  must 
be  put  compels  us  to  close  our  eyes  to  the  incongruity  of  the  use  of  an 
organ,  fixed  furniture  and,  above  all,  "opera  chairs.''  In  all  else,  style  and 
its  traditions  have  been  closely  followed. 

The  need  of  a  gymnasium  has  been  ver}^  great  and  can  now  be  only 
partly  met  by  assigning  for  temporary  use  the  open  space  beneath  the  Hall, 
which  is  ultimately  designed  as  a  lunch  room,  it  being  the  expectation  that 
a  proper  gymnasium  building  will  be  erected  in  the  near  future  as  one  of  the 
new  group,  which  will  have  its  beginning  in  the  completion  of  the  Flatbush 
Avenue  front  at  the  left  of  the  tower  and  will  extend  on  both  sides  of  the 
quadrangle  or  campus  to   Bedford   Avenue. 

There  have  been  no  designs  made  for  the  elevation  on  this  avenue,  but 
the  aim  has  been  to  have  a  central  tower  on  the  same  axis  as  that  on  Flat- 
bush  Avenue,  through  the  archway  in  the  base  of  which  will  be  afforded  a 
view  of  the  "quad"  with  its  green  sward,  trees,  shrubs  and  vines. 

What  the  ultimate  design  of  the  various  buildings  going  to  make  up  the 
group  may  be,  it  is,  of  course,  impossible  to  sa}-,  but  in  designing  and  planning 
that  portion  which  you  now  see  approaching  completion,  I  have  always 
intended  that  the  whole  should  be  a  graphic  illustration  of  the  various 
phases  of  the  so-called  Gothic  movement,  from  the  Round  Arch  to  the 
Flamboyant  and  on  through  its  later  transitorial  stage.  I  confess  that  it 
is  a  bold  project,  but  am  convinced  that  it  is  correct  from  all  points  of 
view,  and  I  hope  most  sincerely  that  the  years  may  be  but  few  before  I  shall 
have  the  pleasure  of  carrying  it  out  and  of  turning  the  buildings  over  com- 
pleted  and   ready   for   use.  , 

Very  truly  yours, 

C.  B.  Snyder. 

On  September  2^,  1787,  was  held  the  first  public  exhibition 
of  Erasmus  Hall,  and  "the  scene,"  says  Stiles,  "was  graced  by 
the  presence  of  the  Governor  of  the  State,  several  members  of  the 
Assembly  and  a  large  concourse  of  prominent  gentlemen  of  the 
city."  Of  fair  renown  also  were  many  of  the  men  gathered  to  do 
honor  to  the  old-new  Erasmus  Hall  on  this  January  day  of  1905. 
The  program  arranged  for  the  out-door  exercises  was  as  follows: 


Song    "America" 

Invocation    Rev.  John  M.  Ferris,  D.D. 

Laying  of  the  Corner-stone Mr.  George  M.  Schacdle 

DOXOLOCV. 

Benediction  Rev.  John  T.  Woods 


^ 


< 
ft- 

o' 

3 


y    p' 


O    =: 

C/3 


> 


m 


(T) 


r-f- 

t/) 

n 

^^ 

w 

a 

o 

> 

r-h 

^ 

t/) 

O 

§ 

5: 

_> 

r* 

CD 

1/4 

rri 

"— ; 

O 

K 

rt) 

> 

cr 

("5 

r 

ru 

O 

r 

y 

:i 

:i: 

»— • 

'U 

l-H 

CD 

O 

^— 

(■& 

^ 

n 

<7i 

o 

— 1^ 

-t 

o 
o 

>^ 

P 

CI. 

1— t 

(/J 

C. 

p 

cr 

n> 

c 

p 
< 

Cl- 

p 

<-> 

^ 

Crq 

p 

cr 

i-t- 
O 

ri) 

•-i 

o' 


179 


Cl)ronicIe^  of  €ta^nni^  i^all  i^igf)  ^cljool  ^si 

First  the  corner-stone  was  laid  and  declared  ''level,  plumb, 
square  and  now  truly  laid."     It  contained: 

Annual  report  of  the  Board  of  Education,  1902. 

Directory  of  the  Board  of  Education,   1904. 

Manual  of  the  Board  of  Education,  1904. 

Minutes  of  the  Committee  on  Buildings,  August  15,  1904. 

Minutes  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Board  of  Education,  August  17, 
1904. 

Minutes  of  the  Board  of  Education,  September  12,  1904. 

Minutes  of  the  Executive  Committee  of  the  Board  of  Education,  November 
16,  1904. 

Minutes  of  the  Board  of  Education,  November  23,  1904. 

Syllabuses  of  Course  of  Study  for  Elementary  and  High  Schools. 

Fifth  Annual  Report  of  City  Superintendent  of  Schools  for  year  ending 
July  31,    1903. 

The  ]\Ianual  Training  Schedule. 

Report  of  the   Superintendent  of  School   Buildings,   1902. 

Holy  Bible. 

United  States  Flag. 

Medal,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  struck  in  commemoration  of  the  laying 
of  the  corner  store. 

School  pin,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  and  colors  blue  and  buf¥. 

Seal,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  adopted  in  1797. 

Photograph,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School  as  existing  in  1904. 

Card  of  invitation  issued  for  the  ceremony  of  laying  the  corner  stone  of 
nev^  Erasmus  Hall  High  School. 

Copy  of  the  school  song,  composed  by  E.  W,  Harter,  E.H.H.S. 

Copy  of  the  graduating  exercises,  1904. 

Three  postal  cards  in  local  use,  giving  different  views  of  the  High  School. 

History  compiled  by  Dr.  Willis  Boughton. 

Copy  of  "The  Erasmian,"  school  paper,  December,  1904. 

Copies  of  plans. 

Copy  current  issue  of  "School," 

The  exercises  resumed  within  the  old  building  were  opened 
by  an  address  by  the  Superintendent  of  Schools,  AATlliam  H. 
Maxwell.     He  said  in  part : 

"In  1882,  the  year  in  which  I  became  connected  officially  with  this  system 
of  schools,  there  was  (in  Brooklyn)  just  one  school  that  could  by  some 
stretch  of  imagination  be  called  a  high  school.  The  Board  of  Education 
did  not  dare  in  1882,  twenty-two  years  ago,  to  call  that  school  a  high  school — 
there  was  so  much  opposition  among  people  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn  to  spend- 
ing any  money  for  what  is  called  'higher  education.'  .  .  .  This  year  there 
are  in  the  high  schools  of  Brooklyn  alone  7,553  pupils.  .  .  .  This  beautiful 
building  whose  corner-stone  you  have  laid  to-day  will  cost  before  it  is  finished, 
I  suppose,  anywhere  from  half  a  million  to  three-fourths  of  a  million  of  dol- 
lars. .  .  .  Last  year  the  cost  per  capita  in  the  high  schools,  based  on  register, 
for  each  pupil  instructed  m  high  schools  was  $74.16;    on  the  average  attend- 


ance,  $85.00.  These  seem  enormous  sums,  but  they  are  less  than  half  the 
cost  of  similar  instruction  in  the  best  private  schools  Great  as  is  the  cost, 
I  submit  that  it  is  very  small  compared  with  the  advantages  to  the  community 
the  people  derive  from  high  schools. 

"In  the  first  place,  there  is  the  material  advantage — and  I  will  put  it  to 
the  good  people  of  Flatbush  if  you  have  not  had  abundant  illustration  of  the 
material  advantage  of  having  a  high  school  established  in  your  community. 
Why,  Flatbush  is  now  probablv  one  of  the  most  beautiful  parts  of  the  city  of 
New  York,  and  I  suppose  it  has  grown  to  be  ten  times  as  large  as  it  was 
before  this  high  school  came  to  it.  High  schools  always  attract  population. 
Real  estate  is  the  most  important  asset  of  Brooklyn.  Anything  that  increases 
the  demand  for  real  estate  increases  the  wealth  of  the  city.  This  high  school 
where  we  stand  to-day  had  added  enormously  to  the  value  of  the  property, 
not  only  in  this  part  of  Brooklyn,  but  throughout  all  of  Brooklyn.  In  the 
second  place,  education  increases  the  general  intelligence  of  the  people,  and 
therefore  makes  each  brain  and  hand  more  productive.  Every  increase  in 
intelligence  is  an  increase  in  wealth-producing  power.  In  the  third  place, 
higher  education  increases  the  power  for  the  rational  enjoyment  of  life,  and 
that  power  is  not  confined  to  those  who  have  gone  through  the  high  school, 
because  the  instruction  given  in  the  high  school  improves  the  quality  of  the 
teachers  in  the  elementary  school,  and  so  the  blessings  of  the  high  school, 
through  its  graduates  who  become  teachers,  through  its  graduates  who  go 
out  in  all  directions,  are  diffused  throughout  the  community. 

"Again,  a  good  system  of  high  schools  is  of  vast  civic  importance.  The 
diffusion  of  high  school  education  leads  directly  to  independent  thinking. 
Independent  thinking  leads  to  independent  conduct;  independent  conduct  leads 
to  independent  voting  and  to  independence  in  the  discharge  of  all  the  duties 
of  citizenship. 

"But  the  most  important  argument  for  high  schools  remains  to  be  stated. 
Public  schools  are  established  and  maintained  for  many  reasons,  but  chiefly 
for  this  reason,  nanieh',  that  all  children,  whether  the  children  of  the  rich 
or  the  children  of  the  poor,  shall  have  equal  opportunity  for  success  and  hap- 
piness, as  far  as  education  can  make  them  equal.  It  follows  that  the  public 
school  must  go  further,  and  must  be  as  good  a  school  as  the  best  private 
school.  We  believe  that  our  high  schools  are  giving  a  secondary  education 
that  is  in  no  respect  inferior  to  that  given  in  the  best  private  schools.  Indeed, 
if  we  may  judge  from  the  awards  given  to  our  educational  exhibit  at  St.  Louis, 
and  from  the  fact  that  the  number  of  students  entering  our  great  public 
institutions  from  high  schools  now  far  exceeds  the  number  entering  from 
private  schools,  and  from  the  further  fact  that  our  boys  and  girls  have  demon- 
strated time  and  time  again  that  they  need  fear  no  competition  for  prizes 
and  scholarships;  if  we  may  judge  from  these  facts,  we  are  well  within  l)ounds 
when  we  sa}^  that  during  the  last  seven  years  the  public  high  schools  of  New- 
York  have  assumed  the  leadership  in  secondary  education.  At  last  we  have 
realized  the  dictum  of  Horace  Mann :  'The  school  that  is  not  good  enough 
for  the  son  of  a  rich  man  is  not  good  enough  for  the  son  of  a  poor  man.' 

"in  the  year  1787,  before  Washington  had  become  President  of  the  United 
States,  before  a  single  line  of  great  poetr}-  had  ever  been  penned  in  the  ter- 
ritory embraced  in  the  United  States,  while  Sir  Walter  Scott  was  still  a  boy 


<; 


o 
►1 
o 

<-(- 
m 
o 

(/Q     2 

2   ^ 

kJ         (-1- 

-!      O 

^^ 
'-!       U 

P      Pu 

B  p 

13   Cfq 
o 
o   " 

n>    ^    > 

^.    C/) 

5"  ^ 


CO      ^ 

o 
P    ^ 
•-t 
O     P 

c   :=! 


^      P 


> 
r 

I— I 
o 


n 

HH 
C 

r 


p 


p 

p^ 


n> 


rir  .  v.- .^''^' -'^■*> />"■'. ;;iS5-^^.^t 


183 


arfjronide^  of  aEras^mu^  l^all  l^igJ)  ^cf)ool  185 

at  school,  in  the  same  year  in  which  Byron  was  born,  before  railroads 
traversed  the  land  or  steamboats  plowed  the  ocean,  before  the  fires  of  the 
French  Revolution  had  burst  forth  to  consume  the  remains  of  a  degraded 
and  decadent  feudalism,  Erasmus  Hall  Academy  was  founded  by  the  Dutch 
citizens  of  Flatbush  and  chartered  by  the  Regents  of  the  University  of  New 
York.  That  Academy  had  a  glorious  history,  and  now  on  this  land  dedicated 
one  hundred  and  eighteen  years  ago  to  the  sacred  cause  of  education,  is  about 
to  arise  a  more  stately  building  with  ampler  halls  and  richer  equipment,  which 
will  have,  I  doubt  not,  a  still  more  glorious  history,  a  more  glorious  history, 
because  it  is  dedicated  to  the  service  not  of  the  few  but  to  the  service  of  the 
many,  because  it  is  dedicated  to  the  cause  of  free  public  education." 

Mr.  Richard  Young  spoke  feelingly  of  the  old  school  when  in 
its  ''hoary  old  age,  its  mantle  fell  on  the  free  public  school  system 
of  Brooklyn." 

"I  know,"  he  said,  "there  are  those  sitting  before  me  to-day  who  look  with 
mixed  emotions  on  the  changes  taking  place.  There  are  those  who  played 
under  the  trees  and  took  their  recesses  and  ate  their  lunches  there  in  the  old 
times,  and  every  stroke  of  the  axe  meant  a  stroke  of  the  heart  to  them.  But 
they  realized  that  there  was  a  greater  thing  than  trees  and  open  lands  and 
beautiful  grounds ;  that  there  are  hearts  and  minds  to  be  developed  and  built 
up,  and  that  we  are  to  go  out  into  the  world  to  do  this." 

President  Finley,  of  the  City  College,  said  in  part : 

"I  think  this  is  a  most  auspicious  day,  not  only  for  this  part  of  New  York, 
but  for  the  city  and  for  the  country  itself.  This  is  a  splendid  thing  which 
democracy  is  doing  out  of  her  own  treasures.  I  was  asked  a  few  weeks  ago 
to  say  one  word  to  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury,  as  he  was  leaving  our 
shores  to  go  out  to  his  home,  and  the  word  that  I  tried  to  say  was  what 
democracy  is  doing  for  the  training  of  her  own  children.  It  is  not  what  we 
are  doing  out  of  our  private  purses ;  it  is  not  what  we  are  doing  in  the  way  of 
charities  or  establishing  private  institutions;  these  are  not  our  noblest  gifts, 
it  seems  to  me;  it  is  what  democracy  is  doing  out  of  her  own  treasures;  this 
is  the  best  token  of  her  high-mindedness,  and  it  is  the  best  promise  of  a 
broadening  and  a  heightening  and  ennobling  of  life  in  this  democratic  country 
of  ours.     I  congratulate  3'ou  with  all  my  heart  this  day." 

I\Ir.  John  Greene,  of  the  Board  of  Education,  said : 

"Alone  among  the  high  schools  of  the  city,  now  the  Borough  of  Brooklyn, 
the  interests,  the  ambitions,  the  ideals  of  the  high  school  cluster  about  a 
name,  the  name  of  Erasmus,  a  name  of  which  the  people  from  whom  he 
sprang  may  to  the  remotest  generations  well  be  proud.  He  was  the  light  of 
the  humanistic  movement  in  Europe.  Fie  was  skilled  in  the  graces  of  the 
writers  of  antiquity,  and  he  has  transmitted  to  the  descendants  a  record  for 
scholarship,  a  record  for  the  style  which  should  be  the  result  of  scholarship, 
which  has  given  Erasmus  Hall  a  typical  place  among  the  high  schools  of  the 
city.     Other  high   schools   since  have  been  dignified  by  the   addition  of  the 


i86  Cfjroniclcs  of  o^ra^mus?  l^all  l^igf)  .^cl)ool 

names  of  great  men.  Erasmus  Hall  will  always  remain  as  the  first  of  its 
class  in  point  of  time,  and  it  rests  with  you,  the  teachers  and  the  Principal 
and  the  members  of  the  Board  who  take  an  interest  in  the  school,  to  see 
whether  it  may  not  retain  a  first  place  in  rank. 

"You  are  situated  in  the  most  beautiful  part  of  the  city  of  Brooklyn, 
a  part  which  retains  more  than  any  other  the  pristine  characteristics  of  an 
early  population.  We  see  here  traces  of  the  existence  of  men  who  lived  two 
hundred  years  ago  or  more  in  buildings  which  remain  to  this  day.  It  is  for 
you  for  whom  the  school  is  especialh'  designed  to  carry  on  the  traditions  of 
the  man  whose  name  the  school  bears,  and  of  those  who  have  labored  to  carry 
on  his  work,  of  the  simple  virtues,  the  high  living,  of  the  people  among  whom 
you  have  been  brought  up,  and  of  those  who  represented  the  best  even  to 
them." 

Looking  back  over  the  story  of  the  school  during  the  past 
decade,  one  is  amazed  at  the  variety  of  life  and  circumstance 
exhibited.  Of  course  this  period  is  a  mere  point  of  time  when 
one  thinks  of  the  time  when  Desiderius  Erasmus  was  selling  his 
clothes  to  buy  Greek  books  w^th,  or  later  when  Eskemoppas,  the 
Sachem  of  Rockaway,  claimed  to  be  the  owner  of  ]\Iidwoiit  and 
sold  it  to  the  Dutch  burghers  for  a  song  or  for  something  less 
valuable ;  or  when  the  branching  sycamores,  old  even  in  those  days, 
looked  stolidly  down  upon  glimpses  of  the  battle  of  Long  Lsland  ; 
or  even  to  the  time  when  the  rosy  cheeked  Dutch  boys  trudged 
sturdily  each  morning  to  the  colonial  academy  building.  The 
thought  of  this  school  for  so  long  a  time — 

"Hiving  wisdom  with  each  studious  year" 

is  a  stimulating  one. 

Without  doubt,  within  the  last  ten  years  this  school  has  had 
opportunities  such  as  fall  to  the  lot  of  very  few  educational  institu- 
tions. It  will  be  for  time,  with  its  true  perspective,  to  tell  in  what 
degree  she  has  lived  up  to  them.  Has  she  proved  herself  worthy 
of  her  motto,  ''Fortitcr  asceiidc?"  She  not  only  had  a  past,  dig- 
nified, of  good  repute,  with  all  the  moral  impetus  furnished  by  its 
precedents  ;  she  has,  if  successful,  a  most  glorious  future.  In  the 
story  of  these  latter  years  there  have  been  some  gray  days  among 
the  gold,  days  of  storm  and  stress,  days  of  discouragement,  when 
the  hoped-for  progress  was  not  apparent.  If  ever  Erasmus  Hall 
has  her  epic  poet,  he  will,  I  think,  choose  to  sing  this  ten  years' 
war  against  numerous  trials  and  disappointments.  He  will  not 
fail,  though,  to  sing  the  happier  days.  Eor  in  general,  the  school 
seems  to  1)e  fulfilling  her  destiny  and  to  be  coming  measurably 
near  the  exi)cctations  of  her  most  sanguine  friends. 


o 

.* 

-t 

^- 

^ 

< 

a 

o    ■— 


o     

>  F 

in  -  ■ 

in  ^ 
o 

^  p 

o 
c 


187 


Cfjronicfe^  of  ^ra>s^mu^  i^all  l^igf)  ^cl^ool  189 


Carmen  ^aeculare 


^unc  bieg  almus;  bcnit  aureaque 
Hmt  ^ol  omnEs;  fjomines;  iubatiit ; 
Mo9i  triumpfjali  quatiamusi  astra 
Carmine  celsia. 

Corbe  ferbenti  tumiboque  tempug 
J^oc  cupiberunt  proabi  bibere ; 
J^unc  biem  fesitum  fugientis  anm 
i^og  gtatuamug. 


^aeculum  longum,  benerata  jHater, 
l^olbit  annorum  bolucrique  curs;u 
3Fnclptae  famae  populi  beberunt 
^erta  becora. 

J^it  ubi  patres!  mobo  bella  nositri 
jHagna  gesserunt,  ubi  bepulerunt 
JBvitontsi  burog,  patriae  tprannos;, 
Jf  ortibusi  armis, 

^arba  surrexti  caput  ante  gentefi 
Ceu  loco  guabcsi  biolae  remoto 
jFloSculos  toUunt  ab  fjumo  fragrantifii 
l^ere  benigno. 

Cibitas;  bisfcorsJ  erat  una  facta 
J^uper  ex  multisi  animique  ccncors; 
i^atio  foebu?^  celebrabat  oinnis; 
^ectore  laeto. 


190  Cf)roniclc,0  of  oErasmua  l^all  l^igf)  ^cJjool 


J^ic  Jiataborum  beterum  birilesi 
Jf  ilii  boctasi  coluere  itlus;a£f 
:ltque  tjirtutem  bibicere  pulcftram 
temper  amare. 

Cum  grabi£(  belli  quotjue  bensfa  nubeg 
lUettera  umbrabit  glabiusique  birug, 
i^untiusf  luctusi,  rubefecit  arba 
Sanguine  fratrum, 

Cum  boleng  iHarti  tencrog  feroci 
Corbc  bemisgo  pueros  bebi^ti 
i^e  labor  patrum  cabcrent  piorum 
€t  monumentum. 

Cibium  tanbem  rabiesi  quiebit: 
Mox  fabri  in  falcefii  glabios;  cruentos; 
3gne  curbabant  fjominesique  agebant 
iilunera  ^acis;. 


i^aubcant  omnesi  iubcnes  in  urbe; 
J^ic  nobem,  ^fjocbi  comites,  gorores; 
3incolcnt  temper  pretiosia  cultusi 
Bona  ferenteS. 

^irgines;  absiint  puerique  casti 
(^loriam  laete  meritam  s^onantts; ; 
Bebitac  laubesi  bccorcnt  Crasmi 
i2obilc  nomen. 

Denis   A'.  O'Brien 


n 

?r 


o 

CfQ 


O) 


o 


o 
cr 


Orq 

m 

cr 


> 

c 


> 

r 
r 


in 
o 

c 
c 

r 


o 


o 

O 

o 
o 

3 

?r 

n 


3 

a. 

n' 

p 


191 


25ibliograpl)p 

Jdoofesi  Consiulteti  in  tfje  preparation  oi  tfje  Cfjronicles;  of 
Crasimusi  J|aU  ^cabemp 

History  of  Flatbush  in  Kings  County. 

By  Thomas  M.  Strong,  D.D. 
An  Excursion  to  the  United  States  of  North  America  in  the  Summer 
OF  1794. 

By  Henry  Wansey,  F.A.S. 
Memoirs  of  the  Rev.  John  Henry  Livingston,  D.D. 

By  Rev.  Alexander  Gunn,  D.D. 
The  Social  History  of  Flatbush. 

By  Gertrude  Lefferts  Vanderbilt. 
A  History  of  the  City  of  Brooklyn  and  Kings  County. 

By  Stephen  M.  Ostrander,  M.A. 
History  of  County  of  Kings  and  City  of  Brooklyn. 

By  Henry  R.  Stiles,  A.M.,  M.D. 
Journal  of  J.  Baxter,  of  Flatlands  (In  MS.  form). 
Reports  of  Regents  of  The  University  of  the  State  of  New  York. 
Historical  and  Statistical  Record  of  The  University  of  the  State  of 
New  York. 

By  Franklin  B.  Hough. 
Historical  Sketch  of  the  Zabriskie  Homestead. 

By  p.  L.  Schenck,  M.D. 
Records  of  the  Board  of  Education,  City  of  Brooklyn,  December  3,  1895. 
A  Manual  of  the  Reformed  Church  in  America. 

By  Edward  Tanjore  Corwin,  D.D. 
A  Memorial  of  the  Semi-Centennial  Celebration   of  the   Founding  of 

Hamilton  College. 
Funeral  Sermons  on  the  Death  of  Rev.  Thomas  M.  Strong,  D.D. 
A  Tribute  to  the  Memory  of  the  late  Rev.  Robert  Grier  Strong. 

By  C.  L.  Wells,  D.D. 


^  Higt  of  tfje  ^re£(ibents;  of  tJje  JHoarb  of  trustees? 

from  ]7S7-\S0e 

John  Vanderbilt  (Senator) from  Dec.    17,  1787,  to  Jan.      7, 1797 

Johannes   E.   Lott from  Jan.      7,  1797,  to  Oct.      i,  1808 

John  C.  Vanderveer from  Oct.      i,  1808,  to  Apr.   29, 1829 

John  Lefferts    from  Apr.    29,  1829,  to  Sept.  28,  1829 

Jeremiah  Lott   from  Sept.  28,  1829,  to  Oct.    12, 1861 

Henry  S.  Ditmas from  Oct.    12,  1861,  to  Oct.    12, 1878 

J.   M.   Ferris from  Oct.     12,  1878,     

193 
13 


194 


Cftronicles^  of  €raj8fmu,0  l^all 


^  ILi^t  of  tfje  Clerfeg  of  t!)e  Jioarb   of  ^rusitees 
from  1787=1896 

Aquila  Giles    from  Dec.    17,  1787,  to  Apr.     3, 1788 

James  Tod  (Not  a  Trustee) from  Apr.      3,  1788,  to  Alay     7,  1792 

Peter  Wilson   from  

Thomas   jM.   Strong from  Apr.    29,  1829,  to  April    3.  1830 

David  Johnson    from  Apr.      3,  1830,  to  Dec.    31,  1836 

Dr.  J.  B.  Zabriskie from  Dec.    31,  1836,  to  Apr.     4,  1848 

John  Vanderbilt from  Apr.     4,  1848,  to  Oct.    21,  1856 

Dr.  John  L.  Zabriskie from  Oct.    21,  1856,  to  Nov.   11,1895 

John   Z.  Lott     from  Nov.    11,  1895,     — 


^  m^t  of  tf)e  CreajJurers;  of  tfjc  Jlioarb  of  ^rusftees! 

from  1787=1896 

Peter  Lefferts  from  Dec.    1 7,  1787,  to    

Garrett  Vanderveer   from  to  Dec.    25,  1832 

Simon   Cortelyou    from  Jan.       i.  1833,  to 

Cornelius   Duryea    from  to  Aug.     8, 1845 

David  •  Johnson    from  Aug.     8,  1845,  to  Apr.     9, 1849 

Henry  S.  Ditmas from  Apr.     9,  1849,  to  Dec.    14,  1850 

John  A.  Lott from  Dec.    14,  1850,  to  July    20,  1878 

Abraham  Lott   from  July   27,  1878,  to  July    13,  1889 

W.  H.  Story from  July    13,  1889,     


^  Hisit  of  tfje  Crusftccg  of  (Srasfmus;  J^all  ^cabemp 

Charter  iHcmbers 


Name. 
John  Vanderbilt 


Date 
1796 


Walter  Minto   Dec.    12,  1792 

Peter  Lefferts  Oct.    17,  1791 

Johannes  E.  Lott Oct.      i,  1808 

Aquila  Giles    Nov.  28,  1797 

Cornelius  Vanderveer  Dec.      3,  1788 

George  Martense    Dec.    31,  1835 

Jacob  Lefferts    Nov.  28,  1797 

William  B.  Gifford Nov.     8,  1801 

Hendrick  Suydam   Dec.      3,  1788 

John   J.   Vanderbilt Nov.  14,  1806 

Martinus   Schoonmaker    Oct.    27,  1808 

Philip   Nagle    Dec.    20,1792 

Pktkr  Coknkij July    17,  1789 


of  Re)iwral  and  Cause. 

Death.  Noted  in  ]\Iinutes  of 
Trustees,  Jan.  7,  1797. 

Seat  declared  vacant  by 
Board. 

Death. 

Resigned  on  account  of  age. 

Seat  declared  vacant. 

Resignation. 

Death. 

Seat  declared  vacant. 

Resignation. 

Resignation. 

Resignation. 
Resignation. 
Removal   from  the  county. 


^{jroniclc^  of  a2ra.0mus?  l^all 


195 


Name. 


Date  of  Removal  and  Cause. 


John  H.  Livingston Feb.    11,  1S03. 


James    Wilson.  . 
Samuel  Provost. 

John  Mason 

Comfort  Sands. 


Seat  declared  vacant. 

These  four  members  never 
attended  a  meeting  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees.  Their 
seats  were  declared  vacant 
in  conformity  to  a  By-Law 
passed  April  26,  1790. 


Zi)t  J^oartJ  of  Zvn^ttt^  toas;  a  s;elf=perpetuatins  bobp,  anb  in 

guccesisiion  tlje  foUotDing=nameb  men  fjabe  been 

memtiers;  of  tftat  J^oarb 


Xame.  Date  of  Election. 

Rev.  Peter  Lowe Dec.  17,  1787 

Garret   ]\L\rtense    Dec.  17,  1787 

Peter  Striker  Nov.  19,  1788 

John    C.   Vanderveer Dec.  3,  1788 

Hendrick   H.  Suydam Dec.  3,  1788 

Lawrence  Voorhees    July  17,  1789 


Cornelius  Bergen   Oct.    17,  1791 

Rem.  Hegeman   Oct.    17,  1791 

Abraham  Ditmas    Oct.    17,  1791 

Dr.  John  H.  Van  Beuren Oct.    17,  1791 

R.  Martense   Mar.  24,  1792 

Peter  Wilson   Dec.     8,  1792 

John  Nagle   Dec.    20,  1792 

Garret  Vanderveer   Dec.    19,  1793 

Lefferts  ]\L\rtense  Mar.     7,  1796 

Samuel   Garritson    Nov.  28,  1797 

John  Cortelyou   Nov.  28,  1797 

Garret  Vanderveer   Dec.    13,  1799 

John   Lott    Dec.    13,  1799 

Andrew   Suydam    Dec.    13,  1799 

Garret  Stryker   May     2,  1800 


Bateman  Lloyd   Feb.    11,  1803. 

Jeremiah  Lott    Nov.  23,  1804. 

Jeremiah   Vanderbilt    Dec.      7,  1805. 


Date  of  Removal  and  Cause. 
June  — ,  1818.     Death. 


]Mar.  7,  1796. 
May  7,  1800. 
Apr.  29,  1829. 
Nov.  23,  1804. 
]\Iay     7,  1806. 


Resignation. 
Resignation. 
Resignation. 
Resignation. 
P  r  e  s  e  rut      at 


Board    fleeting   for    last 


time. 
Sept.  26, 1826. 
Dec.  13,  1799. 
Dec.  7,  1805. 
Dec.  19,  1793. 
:May  18,  1812. 
Dec.  14,  1804. 
Dec.  13,  1799. 

from     village."* 
Refused  to  accept. 


Death. 

"Removed." 

Death. 

Resignation. 

Death. 

Resignation. 

Removed 


Dec.  13,  1799.  Death. 

Dec.  7,  1805.  Law  of  lim- 
itation. 

Dec.  25,  1832.  Resignation — 

Advanced  age. 

Jan.      I,  1842.  Resignation. 

^lay    9,  1818.  Resignation. 

Dec.  5,  1818.  Present  at 
Board  fleeting  for  last 
time.t 

Nov.  20,  181 5.  Death. 

Oct.    12,  1861.  Death. 

Apr.  22,  1837.  Resignation. 


*  Sold   his   farm   at   \'endue  to   Judge  Lott,    April    14,    1798,   for   £4,645. — Baxter. 
"i"  June  21,   1819,  Garret  Stryker  buried. — Baxter. 


196 


€f)rDnicIe.s?  of  oEras^mUj^  l^all 


Name.  Date  of  Election. 

Peter  Stryker^  Jr Dec.  7,  1805. 

John  Lefferts   Jan.  20,  1807. 

John  J.  Ditmas  Oct.  27,  1808. 

Dr.   Nicholas  Schoonmaker..  .Oct.  27,  1808. 

Abraham  Vanderveer   Dec.  11,  181 1. 


Richard  Fish    Dec.    11,  1811. 


Rev.  Dr.  John  Bassett Jan.     13,  1813. 


Garret   L.   Martense Dec.    22,  1813 

John  Vanderbilt  Nov.  20,  1815 

Abraham  Lott    Jan.    11,  1817 

Dr.  Adrian  Vanderveer Alay     9,  1818 

Cornelius   Duryea,  Jr May     9,  1818 

Rev.    Walter  Monteith May    18,  1819 


Isaac  Cortelyou    June 

Rev.  Dr.  Thomas  J\I.  Strong.. Dec. 

George   Martense    ]\Iar. 

Henry  S.  Ditmas Mar. 

Matthew  Clarkson   Mar. 

John  C.  Bergen Sept. 

David  Johnson   Apr. 

Michael  Schoonmaker  Apr. 

John   Vanderveer^  Jr Sept. 

John  A.  Lott Sept. 

Simon    Cortelyou    Dec. 

John  Ditmas    June 

Dr.  John  B.  Zabriskie Dec. 

John  J.  Vanderbilt Apr. 

Samuel  G.  Lott , . . .  Dec. 

John  Vanderbilt  Dec. 

John  I.  Lott Jan. 

Garret  Martense Jan. 

John  D.  Prince Jan. 

Richard  L.  Schoonmaker Aug. 

John  Cortelyou   Dec. 

John  Lefferts    Apr. 


I,  1820 

21,  1822 

I,  1823 

I,  1823 

I,  1823 

26,  1826 

II,  1829 

II.  1829 

1829 

1829 

1832 

1833 

1835 

1837 

1841 

184 1 

1842 

1845 

1845 

1845 

1845 

1848 


28 
28 

25 
II 

31 
22 


4 


Jacob  V.  B.  ]\L\rtense Oct.      9 

John  Schenck   Oct.      9 


1849 
1849 


Date  of  Remo 

val  and  Cause. 

Aug.    5,  1832. 

Death.* 

Sept.  18, 1829. 

Death.t 

Apr.  II,  1829. 

Resignation. 

May    9,  1818. 

Death. 

Dec.     5,  1818. 

Present     at 

Board    Meeting    for    last 

time. 
Feb.  20,1815.     Present      at 

Board    Meeting    for    last 

time. 
Feb.  20,1815.     Present      at 

Board    Meeting    for    last 

time. 


July  5,  1857. 
Dec.  25,  1841. 
Dec.  25,  1841. 
July  5,  1857. 
Aug.  8,  1845- 
Dec.  21,  1822. 

itation. 
Dec.  25,  1845. 
Oct.  12, 1861. 
Dec.  31,  1835. 
Oct.  11,1884. 
Apr.  II,  1829. 
Oct.  8,  1870. 
Oct.  9,  1849. 
Jan.  4,  1845. 
May  I,  1863. 
July  20,1878. 
Dec.  25,  1844. 
Nov.  6,1880. 
Apr.  4,  1848. 
July  25,  1893. 
Oct.  30,  1866. 
Oct.  20,  1877. 
Oct.  27,  1855. 
Oct.  9, 1849. 
Veh.  9,  1889. 
Feb.  10,  1877. 
Apr.  12,  1 85 1. 
July  25,  1893. 

ticed  in  Minutes. 
I'cb.    II.  1882.     Death. 
Apr.     9,  1850.     Declined 

accept. 


Death. 

Resignation. 

Death. 

Death. 

Death. 

Law   of  Lim- 

Death. 

Death. 

Death. 

Death. 

Resignation. 

Death. 

Death. 

Resignation. 

Resignation. 

Death. 

Resignation. 

Death. 

Death. 

Resignation. 

Death. 

Death. 

Death. 

Death. 

Death. 

Death. 

Death. 

Vacancy     no- 


to 


*  Aug.  5,   i83_'.  died,  Peter  Stryker,  of  cholera.      Baxter. 
t  Dec.   15,   181J,  elected  to  Congress.      I'axter. 


Cfjroniclc"^  of  oEra^mu^  l^all 


197 


Name.  Date  of  Elect 

Jeromus  J.  Johnson Dec.    13 

Van  Wyck  Cortelyou Dec.    13 


John  L.  Zabriskie Oct. 

John  F.  ]\Iartense Mar. 

Abraham  Lott   ^lar. 

James   L.   Lefferts Oct. 

John   Oakey   Oct. 

Abraham  I.  Ditmas Oct. 

Rev.   C.   L.  Wells Apr. 

Jacob  P.  Vanderveer May 

Henry    Lyles^   Jr Oct. 

Theo.  B.  Lott Oct. 

Dr.  Homer  L.  Bartlett Oct. 

Rev.  John  M.  Ferris Oct. 

John   Z.   Lott Oct. 

Lionel  A,  Wilbur Oct. 

Lefferts  Vanderbilt    Oct. 

John  H.  Ditmas Oct. 

William  H.   Story June 

Adrian   V.    Martense Feb. 

John  A.  Lott^  Jr Oct. 

Robert  Lefferts   Oct. 

Rev.  Jeremiah  Lott  Zabriskie. Feb. 

Freeman   Clarkson    Feb. 

L    N.    Ford July 

H.    N.    Sherrill July 

L.  T.  German July 

William    Schwarzwalder    ....Apr. 

John  D.  Prince Apr. 

John  B.  Zabriskie^  Jr Sept. 

Jeremiah  Lott   Sept. 


27 

3 

3 

13 

12 

12 

II 

I 

8 

30 

8 

8 

12 

12 

12 

12 

II 

II 

II 

II 

9 

9 

25 

25 

25 

12 

12 

20, 

20, 


on. 

851. 

851. 

855. 
860. 
860. 
860. 
861. 
861. 
863. 
863. 
864. 
866. 
870. 
870. 
878. 
878. 
878. 
878. 
881. 
882. 
884. 
884. 


Date  of  Removal  and  Cause. 


889. 
893. 
893. 
893. 
893. 
893. 
896. 
896. 


Oct.   13,  i860. 
Oct.     8, 1870. 

cant.* 
Nov.  13, 1895. 
Apr.  II,  1863. 
June  13,  1889. 
Oct.  8,  1864. 
Dec.  2Z,  1873. 
Apr.  15,  1894. 
Dec.  12, 1904. 


Resignation. 
Declared    va- 

Death. 
Death. 
Death. 
Resignation. 

Death. 
Death. 


Apr.  12, 1893.     Resignation. 
Feb.     3,  1905.     Death. 


Oct.    II,  1884.     Death. 
July  25, 1893.     Resignation. 


Jan.    — ,  1898.     Death. 
Apr.  12,  1893.     Resignation. 


Dec.  29,  1900.     Death. 


Ceacfjcrs;  of  €ra£imusi  J^all  ^cabempt 

REV.  JOHN  HENRY  LIVINGSTON,  D.D.,  Principal 1787— 1792 

See  pp.  37-52. 
James  Tod^  Classical  Department 1788 — 1792 

Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 

James  Turner^  English  Department 1788— 

Brandt  Schuyler  LuptinI 1788 

John  Gibson  1789 — 1791 

Edward  Shepard  1789 — 1790 

*  Never    took    his    seat. 

t  It  is  not  possible  to  make  this  list  complete.  The  dates  are  drawn  largely  from  the 
Minutes   of   the   Board   of   Trustees. 

t  Mentioned  by  first  Regents'  Visiting  Committee,  but  not  in  the  Minutes  of  the 
Trustees. 


198  Cf)roniclc.0  of  €i:a,s?niu.0  l^all 

John  Terhuxe 1790 — 1791 

Albert  O'Blexiss,  Classical  Department 1791 — 1806 

Queen's   (Rutgers)   College. 

Michael  Schoonmaker   1791 — 1805 

Alexander  ^McDonald,  French 1792 — 

Jones  1792 — 

PETER  WILSON,  Principal 1792-1805 

See  pp.  52-61. 

Peter  Labagh,  French 1792   (Dec.  5) — 1794 

John  Smith_,  French  and  English 1793  (Feb.  2-Nov.  30) 

Henry  Alaird  de  Heusch,  French 1793  (Dec.  19) — 1795  (Sept.  8) 

Lecotte^  French 1795  (Nov.  30) — 1797  (May  27) 

Nicholas  Dollett_,  French 1797  (Nov.  27) — 1798  (Dec.  8) 

Peter  Van  Pelt 1797  (May  23)  — 

Baird  1798 — 1799  (April  4) 

Joshua  Genet^  French 1798  (Dec.  8) — 1799  (]\Iarch  25) 

Samuel  Harris,  Assistant 1799  (June  22)  — 

Hugh  Miller,  English  Department 1799  (Dec.  13) — 1800  (May  2) 

REV.  PETER  LOWE,,  Principal 1805— 1818 

See  pp.  61-63. 

Richard  Fish 1805  (March  16) — 1806  (]\Iay  i) 

John  Wyckoff  1805   (Dec.  7)  — 

Evan  Beynon 1806  (IMay  10) — 1808  (Jan.  2) 

JoAB  G.  Cooper,  Classical  Department 1806  (Nov.  8) — i8o8(  Jan.  2) 

Editor  of  Cooper's  Virgil. 

Valentine  Derry,  Classical  Department 1808  (Feb.  11) — 1809  (Sept.  11) 

John  Brannon 1809  (Jan.  19) — 1810  (April  10) 

Gray   — 1809   (July  7) 

Richard  Whyte  Thompson,  Classical  Department, 

1809    (Sept.    15) — 1814    (Dec.  23) 

William  Steward 1810  (Aug.  8) — 1810  (Aug.  21) 

Edward  Cassidy,  English  Department 1810  (Aug.  21) — 1811   (Jan.  17) 

John  Van  Cleef 1811  (Feb.  i) — 181 1  (July  i) 

AvA  Neil 1811   (March  11) — 1813  (Sept.  15) 

Nicholas  Morris  1813  (Oct.  9) — 1814  (May  16) 

Adrian  Hegeman 1814  (IMay  23) — 1823  (May  i) 

William  Thayer,  Classical  Department 1814  (Dec.  2^)  — 

William  Ironsides,  Classical  Department. ...  1815  (Aug.  19) — 1816  (May  i) 
Columbia  College. 

Andrew  Craig,  Classical  Department 1817  (Jan.  11) — 1819  (June  19) 

S.  H.  Meeker 1817— 1820 

E.  La  Jurnelle  181 7 — 1818 

James  Russell 1818 — 1820 

Louis  J.  Michard 1818 — 1820 

Charles  F.  A.  Canda 1818 — 1820 

JOSEPH  PENNEY,  Principal 1819  (Aug.  28)— 1821  (Aug.  14) 

See  p.  63. 


Cf^ronicle.sf  of  €ra3^mu.0  l^all  199 

REV.  TIMOTHY  CLOWES,  Principal 1821  (Aug.  29—1823  (May  i) 

Wm.  J.  Clowes,  Assistant 1821 — 1822 

JONATHAN  \V.  KELLOGG,  Principal 1823— 1834 

See  pp.  65-74. 

Jonathan  B.  Kidder,  A.B.,  Science "...  1823 — 1829 

AL\RiA  Jones,  Female  Department 1823 — 1829 

Theodore  ]\Iorell,  French  and  Spanish 1823 — 1834 

John  Frey,  English  Assistant  (Male) 1824 — 1825 

William  Allgeo,  English  Assistant  (Male) 1825 — 1832 

Hannah  C.  Kellogg 1827 — 1830 

Eliza   Geib,   ]\Iusic 1827 — 1830 

William  H.  Campbell,  Classical  Assistant 1829 — 1831 

See  pp.  70-71. 

Julia  De  Forest,  Female  Department 1829 — 1830 

Philomela  Rollo,  Teacher  of  Music 1829 — 1830 

Mrs.  W.  W.  ]\L\ltby,  Female  Department 1830 — 1831 

Miss  E.  Gillingh am.  Music 1830 — 

Isaac  Greer,  Classical  Assistant 1831 — 1832 

Almira  Meach,  English  Branches 1831 — 1833 

Julia  Gillingham    1832 — 1833 

Jonathan  W.  Thompson,  Classical  Assistant 1832 — 1833 

John  I.  Prentiss,  English  Assistant 1833 — 

Abigail  Rudd,  Female  Department 1833 — 

Louisa  M.  Ely,  Assistant  in  Female  Department 1833 — 

Wexgate,  Supply  Teacher 1833 — 

REV.  WILLIAM  H.  CAMPBELL,  Principal 1834— 1839 

See  pp.  74-84. 

John  W.  Thompson,  Classical  Department 1834 — 1835 

Anna  F.  Vose,  Female  Department 1834 — 1835 

C.  B.  Raymond,  Junior  Teacher 1834 — 1835 

John  McAlpin,  Classics  and  Mathematics 1835 — 

John  Skellie,  English 1835 

P.  ]\Iourquine,  Teacher  of  French 1835 

A.  U.  Hayter,  Music  ( Piano) 1835 — 1836 

Abner  Jones,  ]\lusic  (Vocal) 1835 

William  James   Stephens 1835 

Mark  Hopkins  Beecher 1836 — 1840 

See  pp.  77-78. 

Laura  McElwin,  Female  Department 1836 — 1839 

Jacob  Gillet,  Junior  Teacher 1836 — 1838 

Salary  $500. 

V.  M.  Hulburt,  ]Music  (Vocal) 1836 

Ambrose  Leet,  Junior  Teacher 1837 — 1838 

Belfast  College.  Ireland. 
Michael    \Y.    Erben,    Music    (Piano) 1837 — 1838 

REV.  JOSEPH  PENNEY,  D.D.,  Principal 1839— 1841 

See  pp.  84-86. 


200  Cl^ronicIciS?  of  €ra,i^mu.s?  l^all 

Jeromus  a.  Davenport,  Department  of  English 1840 — 1841 

Universit}-  of  the  City  of  New  York. 

Sarah  Parker,  Female  Department 1840 — 1841 

Willis  ]\I.  Rowel 1840 

Mr.  House  1840 

JAMES  FERGUSON,  Principal 1841— 1843 

See  p.  86. 

Andrew   P'ergusox    1841 

A.B.,  Rutgers  College. 
Cornelius   Stoothoff    , 1841 

A.B.,  Union  College. 
Augusta  Ingham,  Female  Department 1841 

Academy  of  Wilkes-Barre. 

Robert  S.  Wright 1842 — 1843 

Sara  L.  ]\Iiller 1842 — 1843 

REV.  RICHARD  D.  VAN  KLEEK,  D.D.,  Principal 1843— 1860 

See  pp.  89-97. 
James  D.  ^Iorris,  French,  Mathematics,  English 1843 — 

Hounslow  School,  England ;    taught  two  years  in  Paris. 

IMargaret  Odell,  Female  Department 1843 — 

Edward  Foote 1845 — 

Cornelia  C.  Mitchell 1845 — 

De  Witt  Nooney,  French,  IMathematics,  English 1845 — 1846 

University  of  the  City  of  New  York  (Junior). 
Grace  S.  Jaycox,  Female  Department 1845 — 1847 

Miss  Seeley's  Boarding  School,  New  Haven,  Conn. 
James  R.   Leute 1846 — 1847 

Rutgers  College,  Class  of  '42. 

Theodore  Morell,  Jr.,  French 1846 — 1851 

Sigismond  Lazar,  iMusic   ( Piano) 1846 — 1848 

William  C.  Webster,  Music  (Vocal) — 1848 

Julia  Anna  Schaffer,  Female  Department 1847 — ^848 

Moravian  Seminar}^  Bethlehem,  Pa. 

Starr's  Boarding  School,  New  York. 

Centre   College,  Danville,  Ky. 
Fanny  Van  Kleek,  Elementary  Branches 1847 — ^1854 

Albany  Female  Academy. 

Erasmus  Hall  Academy. 
Harriet  O.  Putnam,  English,  Female  Department 1848 — 1849 

Mt.  Holyoke  Seminar}'^  (two  years). 

Thomas  ]\Ionk,  Painting  and  Drawing 1848 — 1849 

Joseph  Proctor,  English 1849 — 1851 

A.M.,  Union  College. 

Harvard  College   (Junior). 

Henry  Farrington,  English 1851 — 1852 

Mary  Van  Kleek,  Primary  Department 1851 — 

Henry  Wells,  Music  (Vocal) 1851— 1853 


€f)ronicle.0  of  Erasmus  l^all  201 

Isaac  Briggs^  English 1852 — 

State  Normal  School. 

Horace  Wickham^  English 1853 — 1855 

Elizabeth  Van  Kleek 1853 — 

Thomas  Lee^  English  Department  (Male) 1855 — 

I.  Lowexdahl^  French  and  German 1857 — • 

Richard  Lawrence  Van  Kleek^  Assistant 1859 — 

Thomas  C,  Strong^*  Classical  teacher 1859 — 

George  W.  Bacon/  English 1859 — 

Rev.  I.  L.  ^IcNair/'"  English  and  Classics 1859 — 

J.  M.  Hager^  ]\Iiisic  (Vocal) 1859 — 

Virginia  Van  Kleek,  ]\lusic  (Vocal  and  Piano) 1859 — 

REV.  WILLIAM  W.  HOWARD,  Principal i860— 1863 

See  pp.  97-98. 
Erskine  Howard_,  Preparatory  Department i860 — 

Western  [Military  Academy,  Kentucky. 
Abbie  Sexton,,  Female  Department i860 — • 

State  Normal  School. 

Serena  'M.  Heskett^  Music i860 — 

^Iiss  ^l.  Cunxixgham^  Female  Department i860 — 

REV.  ELI  T.  MACK,  Principal 1863— 1874 

See  pp.  99-104. 

Mr.  Wilson 1864 — 

Elizabeth  !Mack,  Primary  Department 1866 — 1873 

Mr.  Pierre 1869 — 

Helen  Mack,  French  Department 1869 — 

G.    ^I.    Bakler 1869— 

Mr.  Gordox   1869 — 

J.  A.  Higgins  1868— 

JARED  HASBROUCK,  Principal 1874— 1879 

See  pp.  103-104. 

REV.  ROBERT  GRIER  STRONG,  Principal 1879— 1892 

See  pp.  104-118. 
Laura  W.  Coggers 1880 — 

Oswego  State  Normal  and  Training  School. 
Sarah  E.  Sedgwick,  English  Branches 1879 — 1892 

Poughkeepsie  Collegiate  Institute. 

S.  M.  IMoREL,  Latin,  Greek,  and  French 1879 — 1887 

S.  M.  Morel,  French  alone 1887 — 1892 

Esther  G.  Leggett,  Preparatory  Department 1883 — 

Josephine  Partridge,  Primary  Department 1883 — 

Oswego  State  Normal  and  Training  School. 
Gertrude  Havilaxd,  Kindergarten 1883 — 

]Madam  Kraus-Boelte's  Kindergarten  Training  School. 

*  For    Strong,   Bacon   and   McXair  our  authority  is   Mr.    Peter  I.    Xeefus. 


202  €l)ronicIe,iS?  of  €ra^^muj^  I^all 

]\Irs.  L.  W.  Cotton,  Elocution 1883 — 1884 

Rev.  C.  H.   Schwarzbach,  German 1883 — 1884 

Bloomfield  Theological  School. 

William  Ostermayer_,  Music 1883 — 1892 

Bertha  Connell,  ]\Iusic 1883 — 1885 

Bertha  Connell_,  Alusic  and  German 1886 — 1888 

Packer  Collegiate  Institute. 
Carrie  E.  Smith,,  Preparatory  Department 1884 — 

Oswego  State  Normal  and  Training  School. 
Mrs.  M.  Duval  Allen,  Painting  and  Drawing 1884 — 1889 

South  Kensington  Art  School,  London. 

Louis  C.  Mollenhauer,  ]\Iusic  (Violin) 1884— 1892 

Madam  Pfeiffer,  German 1885 — 

Jeannette  Walker,  Primary  Department 1885 — 1886 

Oswego  State  Normal  and  Training  School. 
Harriet  E.  Lyman,  Preparatory  Department 1886 

New  York  Normal  College. 
DeWitt  V.  D.  Reiley,  Latin  and  Greek 1887 — 1892 

Rutgers  College. 
Sarah  B.  Strong,  Preparatory  Department 1887 — 1892 

Wells  College. 
Antoinette  C.  Rogers,  Primary  Department 1887 — 

Oswego  State  Normal  and  Training  School. 
Mary  W.  Hawley,  Kindergarten 1887 — 1892 

Van  Wagenen's  Kindergartner  Training  School. 

Kate  C.  Robb,  Primary  Department 1888  (until  June) 

Olive  J.  Lydall,  Primar}^  Department 1888  (after  June) 

Oswego  State  Normal  and  Training  School. 

Madam  Mann  de  Ruch ant,  French 1889 

Grace  O.  Fornachon,  Primary  Department 1889 

Oswego  State  Normal  and  Training  School. 
Archibald  Cuthbertson,  Calisthenics 1889 

Toronto  University,  Canada. 

I.  S.  Preston,  Penmanship 1889 

Sarah  L.  Dunning,  Music  (Vocal) 1889 

DR.  R.  ARROWSMITH,  Principal 1892— 1893 

See  pp.  118-121. 
Flora  E.  Pike,  Mathematics  and  History 1892 — 1893 

Vassar  College. 
Carrie  E.  Reynolds,  Geography  and  Latin 1892 — 1893 

Fredonia  State  Normal  School. 
Sallie  B.  Freeman,  Primary  Department 1892 — 1893 

New  Jersey  State  Normal  School, 

MARY  WHEELER  HAWLEY,  Principal 1893  (March  3)— 1896 

Van  Wagenen's  Training  School. 
Allen  B.  Doggett,  Art 1895 — 

Roval  Acadcmv.  Munich. 


€f)ronicIc.3Bf  of  aEraj^mu^  l^all  203 

iHember£f  of  tfje  ILotal  Committee  of  Crasimug  J^all 
^igf)  ^cfjool,  1896-1901 

Hamlin^  George  D 1896 — 1899 

Hooper,  Franklin  W.  1896 — 1899 

Maxwell,  Henry  W 1896 — 1899 

McNamee,  John   1896 — 1899 

Pettengill,  Emma  F 1896 — 1898 

Weir,  James   1896 — 1898 

Young,  Richard 1896 — 1901 

Fisher,  George  H 1898 — 1899 

Sullivan,  Andrew  T 1898 — 1901 

Bamberger,  Ira  Leo   1899 — iQOi 

Bassett,  Edward  AI 1899 — 1901 

Hunt,  Joseph  H 1899 — 1901 

Nostrand,  George  E 1899 — 1901 

Powell,  John  K 1899 — 1901 

Thompson,  John  R 1899 — iQOO 

Williams,  John  J 1899 — 1900 

]\IcIlroy,  John   1900 — 1901 

^fje  Jfacultp  of  Crafifmus;  J^all  J^isij  ^cfjool 

(The  names  in  each  department  are  arranged  in  order  of  appointment.) 
Walter  B.  Gunnison        _---_----        Principal 

A.B.,  St.  Lawrence  University,  1875;    A.M.,  1878;    Ph.D.,  1895;    Pro- 
fessor of  the  Latin  Language  and  Literature,  St.  Lawrence  University, 
1875-1885;     Principal   of   PubHc    School   No.    19,    Brooklyn,    1885-1896; 
Principal  of  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  1896- 
Kate  E.  Turner        --------        Assistant  Principal 

Brooklyn    Training    School;     A.B.,    Adelphi    College,    1903;     Head    of 
Department,  Public  School  No.  19,  1895-1897;    Teacher,  Erasmus  Hall 
High    School,    January,    1897- April,    1898;     Assistant    Principal,    April, 
1898- 

DEPART^IENT  OF  ART. 
Allen  B.  Doggett         ------         CJiairman  of  Department 

Student,  ^Museum  of  Fine  Arts,  Boston,  Mass.,  Cowles  Art  School, 
Zepho  Art  Club,  1877-1887;  Student  Koehler  Art  School,  Munich, 
1887;  Student  Royal  Academy  of  Fine  Arts,  ]\Iunich,  Anatomy  Lec- 
tures, University  of  ^Munich,  1887-1890;  Student  of  Anatomy  (dissec- 
tion), Long  Island  College,  1894;  Art  Department,  Forbes  Litho.  Mfg. 
Co.,  Boston,  1877-83;  In  charge  of  Department,  1885-87;  In  charge  of 
Art  Department,  Crump  Lithograph  Co.,  ^lontclair,  N.  J.,  1883-85 ;  Art 
Department  of  Harper  &  Bros.,  New  York,  1892-95 ;  Trip  to  Holland 
in  search  of  material  for  the  illustration  of  book,  ''Hans  Brinker,"  for 
Chas.  Scribner's  Sons,  1895;  General  illustration  work;  Teacher  of 
Art,  Erasmus  Hall  Academy,  IMiss  Hawley's  School,  Flatbush,  Mrs. 
Perkins'  School,  Flatbush,  1895-96 ;  Teacher  of  Art,  Erasmus  Hall 
High  School,  Sept.,  1896- 


204  €ftronicle^  of  €ra^mu^  i^alf 

Joseph  Mayo  Tilden. 

B.S.,  Worcester  Polytechnic  Institute,  1895;  Alass.  State  Normal 
School,  1897;  M.A.,  New  York  Universit}^  1906;  Assistant  in  Chem- 
istry, Harvard  University,  1895-1897;  Supervisor  of  Art  Study,  Public 
Schools,  Higham,  ]\Iass.,  1897-1898;  Teacher  of  Art,  Erasmus  Hall 
High  School,  1898- 

Pearl  Frances  Pond. 

Diploma,  Mass.  Normal  Art  School,  1892 ;  Director  of  Drawing,  Hamp- 
ton Institute,  Va.,  1892-1894;  Diploma,  Pratt  Institute,  1898;  Teacher 
of  Art,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  Sept.,  1898- 

Manton  Elwell  ]\Ierchant. 

Diploma,  Mass.  Normal  Art  School,  1896;  Teacher,  Gloucester  High 
School,  1896-1901 ;    Teacher  of  Art,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  1901- 

COMMERCIAL  DEPARTMENT. 
Warren  L.  Starkey        -__--__        Head  of  Department 
Coleman  Business  College ;    Head  Teacher,  Commercial  Branches,  Pat- 
erson,    N.    J.,    High    School,    1891-1897;     Head    Teacher,    Commercial 
Department,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  1897- 

George  C.  Raynor. 

Graduate,  State  Normal  College,  Albany,  1888;  Graduate,  Zanerian  Art 
College,  Columbus,  Ohio,  1893 ;  Course  in  Albany  Business  College, 
1896;  Principal,  Graded  School,  Shelter  Island,  N.  Y.,  1888-1889; 
Teacher  of  Commercial  Branches,  State  Normal  School,  Millersville, 
Pa.,  1890-1893 ;  Instructor  in  Polytechnic  Institute,  Brooklyn,  1894- 
1898;  Teacher  of  Commercial  Branches,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School, 
1898- 

DEPARTMENT  OF  ENGLISH. 

Orlando  Eaton  Ferry. 

A.B.,  Hamilton  College,  1895;  A.M.,  1898;  A.M.,  New  York  Uni- 
versity, 1902;  Teacher,  Polytechnic  Institute,  Brooklyn,  1895-1896; 
Teacher  of  English,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  1896- 

Abigail  Eliza  Leonard. 

Randolph  Normal  School,  1875 ;  First  Assistant,  Johnson  Normal 
School,  1875-1878;  First  Assistant,  Woodstock  High  School,  1878-1881 ; 
First  Assistant,  Castleton  Normal  School,  1881-1891 ;  Teacher,  Girls' 
High  School,  Brooklyn,  1891-1896;  Teacher  of  English,  Erasmus  Hall 
High  School,  1896- 

Clara  a.  FIart. 

Teacher  of  English,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  Sept.,  1896-Sept.,  1897. 

Grace  A.  Burt 

Graduate,  Emerson  College  of  Oratory,  Boston,  1895;  Student,  New 
York  University,  Summer  Course,  1903;  Martha's  Vineyard,  Summer 
Course;  Teacher  in  private  schools.  New  York,  Brooklyn,  Jersey  City, 
Newark,  Newburgh ;  Public  Reader,  and  Lecturer  for  the  City  of  New 
York,  on  Shakespearian  Plays;  Author  of  "The  Art  of  Expression"; 
Teacher  of  Elocution,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  February,  1898- 


Cfjronicle^  of  aEra^mu^  i^all  205 

Albert  Francis  Buck. 

A.B.,  Amherst  College,  1890;  A.M.,  Harvard  University,  1892;  Stu- 
dent in  Germany,  1892-93 ;  Instructor  in  Philosophy,  Union  College, 
1896-97;  Instructor  in  Philosophy,  University  of  Chicago,  1897-98; 
Teacher  of  English,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,  1898-Jan- 
uary,  1904. 

Willis  Earle. 

A.B.,  Dartmouth  College,  1889;  A.M.,  1892;  Teacher  of  English,  Wor- 
cester, Mass.,  Academy,  1889-1890;  Norwalk,  Conn.,  School,  1890-1893; 
St.  Paul's  School,  Garden  City,  L.  I.,  1893-1898;  Erasmus  Hall  High 
School,  1898- ;  Chairman,  Department  of  English,  Erasmus  Hall  High 
School,  1 898- 1 900. 

Sabra  Maude  Moore. 

A.B.,  Wellesley  College,  1898;  Student,  Columbia  University,  1902, 
1903;    Teacher  of  English,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  1898- 

Florence  M.  Scovill. 

B.L.,  Smith  College,  1893 ;  Graduate  Student,  Yale  University,  1893, 
1894;  Teacher  of  English,  Montpelier,  Vermont,  1894-1895;  Westfield, 
N.  J.,  1895-1897;  Traveling  in  Europe,  1897-1898;  Teacher  of  English, 
Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  1898- 

George  Morris  Strout. 

A.B.,  Boston  University,  1878;  Ph.D.,  1880;  Principal,  High  School, 
Nahant,  Mass.,  Chicopee,  Mass.,  Athol,  Mass.,  Cohoes,  N.  Y. ;  Teacher 
of  English,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  1898- 

Willis  Boughton. 

A.B.,  University  of  Michigan,  1881 ;  A.M.,  Dickinson  College,  1891 ; 
Ph.D.,  Ohio  University,  1900;  Higher  Diploma,  Teachers  College, 
Columbia  University,  1902 ;  Teacher  in  Cincinnati  Grammar  Schools, 
1888;  in  Technical  School,  Cincinnati,  1889;  Professor  of  History  and 
Literature,  Ohio  University,  1889- 1891 ;  Lecturer  on  English,  University 
of  Pennsylvania,  1891-1892;  Professor  of  English,  Ohio  University, 
1892-1899;  Teacher  of  English,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  1899- ; 
Chairman  Department  of  English,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  1900- 
1903. 

George  A.  Hubbell. 

Ph.D.,  Columbia  University;  Teacher  of  English,  Erasmus  Hall  High 
School,  February,  1899-1904;    Vice-President  Berea  College,  1904- 

Mildred  I.  McNeal. 

Teacher  of  English,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  October,  1899-Septem- 
ber,  1903.     Married  Mr.   Peter  Sweeney,   1903. 

Adelaide  C.  Hoffman. 

Teacher  of  English  and  Mathematics,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  1901- 
1903.     Married  Mr.  W.  T  .Marvin,  April  14,  1903. 

RowENA  K.  Keyes. 

Mount  Holyoke  College ;  Teacher  of  Mathematics  and  English,  Eras- 
mus Hall  High  School,  March  i,  1903-1904;  Transferred  to  Girls'  High 
School,  1904. 


2o6  arfjroniclej^  of  ^ra^muj^  l^all 

Prestox  Cooke  Farrar        -  _        _        _        _        _        Head  of  Department 

A.B.,  Washington  and  Jefferson  College.  1891  ;  A.  '\l.,  Columbia  Uni- 
versity, 1904;  Teacher  of  English  and  Latin,  Allegheny,  Pa.,  High 
School,  1891-1896;  Head  of  Latin  Department,  1893-1896;  Head  of 
English  Department,  1896-1900;  Graduate  Student,  Columbia  Uni- 
versity, 1900-1903;  Teacher  of  English,  DeWitt  Clinton  High  School, 
New  York  City,  February,  1901-September,  1903;  Chairman  English 
Department,  1902-1903;  Head  of  English  Department,  Erasmus  Hall 
High  School,  September,  1903- 

Sarah  Phoebe  Foster. 

A.B.,  Wellesley  College,  1898;  Assistant  to  Head  of  Modern  Language 
Department,  D.  C.  Heath  &  Co.,  Boston,  1898-1902;  Secretary  to  Kin- 
dergarten Department,  Pratt  Institute,  1902-1903 ;  Teacher  of  English 
and  Secretary  to  the  Principal,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School.  September, 
1903- 

Frederick  William  ]\Iemmott. 

A.B.,  Williams  College,  1895;  A.]\L,  1900;  Vice-Principal  of  Drury 
High  School,  North  Adams,  Mass.,  1895-1903;  Teacher  of  English, 
Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  1903- 

LucY  Burns. 

A.B.,  Vassar  College,  1902;  Graduate  Student,  Yale  University,  1902- 
1903;    Teacher  of  English,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  February,  1904- 


DEPARTMENT  OF  HISTORY. 

William  E.  Chancellor. 

Teacher  of  History,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,  1896-Sep- 
tember,  1897. 

George  Edward  Bovnton        ------        Head  of  Department 

Student  at  Rochester  University,  1884-1886;  Principal  of  Victor  Union 
School,  1880-1890;  A.B.,  Johns  Hopkins  University,  1892;  Graduate 
Student,  Ibid.,  1893  and  1895;  Graduate  Student,  Cornell  University, 
1894;  Instructor  in  Sociology,  Women's  College  of  Baltimore,  1892; 
Head  of  Department  of  English,  Utica  Free  Academy,  1895-1897;  Head 
of  Department  of  History,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,  1897- 

Laura  Eunice  Sprague. 

Ph.B.,  University  of  Michigan,  1891  ;  Teacher  of  Mathematics,  High 
School,  South  Bend,  Ind.,  1891-1892;  Teacher  of  History  and  English, 
State  Normal  School,  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  1892-1897;  Teacher  of  History 
and  ICnglish,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  1897- 

J.  1  JERr.ERT  Low. 

A.l).,  Amherst  College,  1890;  A.M..  1896;  Instructor  in  Latin  and 
History,  Brooklyn  Polytechnic  Institute,  1890-1893;  Student  in  Berlin, 
Paris.  London,  1893-1897;  Teacher  of  History,  Erasnuis  Hall  High 
School,   1897- 


arfjroniclc^  of  ^ra^mu-sf  l^all  207 

Frances  G.  Davenport, 

Teacher  of  History,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,  1898-Sep- 
tember,  1901. 

Jennie  Melvene  Davis. 

Potsdam  State  Normal  and  Training  School,  1891 ;  Special  Work, 
Teachers  College,  1894;  Harvard  Summer  School,  1897;  Assistant 
Principal,  School  No.  17,  Potsdam,  1885-1890;  Teacher  of  History, 
East  Orange,  N.  J.,  High  School,  1891-1898;  Lecturer,  New  York  State 
Teachers'  Institutes,  1898-1899;  Lecturer,  New  York  State  Summer 
Institutes,  1898,  1905 ;  Lecturer  on  History,  New  York  City  Public 
Lecture  Course,  1895-1906;  Teacher  of  History,  Erasmus  Hall  High 
School,  February,  1899- ;    Member  American  Historical  Association. 

Gertrude  J.  Nelson. 

Teacher  of  History,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  February,  1901-Sep- 
tember,  1901.     Married  Mr.  Clififord  R.  Burt,  190T. 

Jenny  C.  Watts. 

Teacher  of  Histor\',  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  February,  1901-Sep- 
tember,  1901. 

Lolabel  House. 

A.B.,  University  of  Nashville,  1893;  A.]\I.,  University  of  Chicago,  1898; 
Ph.D.,  University  of  Pennsylvania,  1901 ;  Fellow  in  American  History, 
University  of  Pennsylvania,  1899-1901 ;  Instructor  in  English,  Waco 
High  School,  Waco,  Texas,  1898-1899;  Teacher  of  History,  Erasmus 
Hall  High  School,  September,  1901- 

Caroline  T.  AIitchell. 

Teacher  of  History,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,  1901-1902; 
Instructor,  Smith  College,  1902-1903.  Married  Mr.  Geo.  W.  Bacon, 
June,  1904. 

Antoinette  Lawrence. 

Ph.B.,  Cornell  University,  1891  ;  A.M.,  1895 ;  Teacher,  Private  School, 
New  York  City,  1891-1894;  Graduate  Student,  Cornell  University,  1894- 
1895;  Teacher,  Private  School,  Geneva,  1895-1896;  Ibid.,  Pittsburg, 
1896-1898;  Assistant  Principal,  Sewickley,  Pa.,  1898-1900;  Teacher  in 
Yonkers,  N.  Y.,  1900-1902;  Teacher  of  Flistory,  Erasmus  Hall  High 
School,  February,   1902- 


DEPARTMENT  OF  LATIN  AND  GREEK. 

Eugene  Wendell  Harter        ------        Head  of  Department 

B.A.,  Yale  University,  1888;  ^I.A.,  1891 ;  Teacher  at  "Viewland," 
Peekskill,  1888-1889;  Head  of  Department  of  Latin  and  Greek,  New- 
burgh  Free  Academy,  1889-1896;  Teacher  in  Dr.  Sachs'  School  for 
Boys,  January,  1896-June,  1896;  Head  of  Department  of  Latin  and 
Greek,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,  1896- 


2o8  €J)ronicle,i^  of  €ra^mu.i^  I^all 

Susan  Perkins  Peabody. 

x\.B.,  Smith  College,  1882;  Teacher,  High  School,  Vinton,  Iowa,  1883- 
1891 ;  St.  Cloud  Normal  School,  ^Minnesota,  1891-1893;  Graduate  Stu- 
dent, Cornell  University,  1893-1894;  Teacher,  Girls'  High  School, 
Brooklyn,  1894-1896;  Teacher  of  Latin,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School, 
September,   1896- 

Caroline  G.  Brombacher. 

A.B.,  Barnard  College,  1895 ;  Fellow  in  Greek,  Bryn  Mawr  College, 
1896-1897;  Teacher  of  Mathematics  and  Greek,  Erasmus  Hall  High 
School,  September,  i897-Februar3',  1906. 

Denis  R.  O'Brien. 

A.B.,  St.  Francis  Xavier,  1896;  Teacher  in  Grammar  Schools,  New 
York  City,  1897-1898;  Teacher  of  Latin,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School, 
September,  1898- 

Sidney  Graub  Stagey, 

A.B.,  Bowdoin  College,  1889 ;  Fellow  in  Latin,  Johns  Hopkins  Univer- 
sity, 1891 ;  Acting  Professor  of  Latin,  Iowa  College,  1894;  Ph.D.,  Uni- 
versity of  Munich ;  Teacher  of  Latin,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School, 
February,  1898- 

Jesse  Willis  Jefferis. 

Boston  University;  Teacher  of  Latin,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  Sep- 
tember, 1898-June,  1900. 

William  Mahlon  Strong. 

A.B.,  Colgate  University,  1894;  Instructor  in  Greek  and  Latin,  Rutgers 
College  Preparatory  School,  1894- 1896;  Student,  Hamilton  Theological 
Seminar}^  1896-1897;  Pd.B.,  New  York  State  Normal  College,  1898; 
Teacher  of  Latin,  Erasmus  Hall  Lligh  School,  September,   1898- 

Nathalie  Luce  Vidaud. 

Oswego  State  Normal  School,  1881 ;  Teacher,  Greenpoint,  N.  Y.,  High 
School,  1881 ;  School  for  Girls,  New  York,  1881-1885;  School  for  Girls, 
Brooklyn,  1885-1892;  Yonkers,  N.  Y.,  High  School,  1892-1898;  Teacher 
of  Latin,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,   1898- 

JoHN  William  Bockes. 

A.B.,  Williams  College,  1896;  L.L.B.,  St.  Lawrence  University,  1902; 
Teacher,  Bridgeport,  Conn.,  1896-1897;  Westerleigh,  Staten  Island, 
1897-1899;   Teacher  of  Latin,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  1899- 

Walter  Scott  Harley. 

A.B.,  Bucknell  University,  1887;  A.M.,  1890;  Graduate  Student,  Uni- 
versity of  Chicago,  1892-1894;  Instructor  in  Latin  and  Mathematics, 
South  Jersey  Institute,  1888-1892;  Teacher  of  Latin,  Boys'  High  School, 
Reading,  Pa.,  1894-1899;  Teacher  of  Latin,  Erasmus  Hall,  lligh  School, 
February,   1899- 

Frederick  D.  Sherman. 

A.B.,  University  of  Michigan;  Ph.D.,  University  of  Leipzig,  1897; 
Teacher,  Bay  City,  Mich.,  High  School;  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  Normal 
School ;  Lecturer  on  Education,  Teachers  College,  Columbia  University, 
1897-1899;  Teacher  of  Latin,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September, 
1899- April,  1903. 


€f^tmndc0  of  €ra^mu^  ]^all  209 

Charles  Sumner  Estes. 

A.B.,  Colby  University,  1884;  A.M.,  1897;  Ph.D.,  Johns  Hopkins  Uni- 
versity, 1895;  Associate  Principal,  Ricker  Institute,  Maine,  1884-1891 ; 
Acting  Principal,  1895-1896;  Professor  of  Latin  and  Lecturer  in  His- 
tory, Furman  University,  1896-1898;  Principal,  Cook  Academy,  New 
York,  1899-1900;  Teacher  of  Latin,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  Sep- 
tember,  1900- 

Charles  Edward  Dixon. 

A.B.,  DePauw  University,  1888;  A.AL,  1891 ;  Instructor  in  Latin, 
DePauw  University,  1886- 1891 ;  Professor  of  Latin,  Olivet  College, 
1891-1895;  Student  in  American  School  for  Classical  Studies  in  Rome, 
1895-1896;  Student  of  Latin  MSS.  in  European  Libraries,  1897;  Fel- 
low in  Latin,  L^niversity  of  Chicago,  and  Instructor  in  Schools  (Lewis 
Institute,  and  South  Side  Academy)  allied  with  the  University,  1897- 
1901  ;    Teacher  of  Latin  and  Greek,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  1901- 

WiLLiAM  Frank  Tibbetts. 

A.B.,  Bates  College,  1888;  Ph.D.,  Laiiversity  of  Chicago,  1901 ;  Teacher 
of  Latin  and  Greek,  High  School,  Pawtucket,  R.  I.,  1889-1890;  Profes- 
sor of  Latin,  Hillsdale  College,  Mich.,  1890-I895;  Instructor  in  Latin 
and  Greek,  Kenwood  Institute,  Chicago,  1896-1900;  Teacher  of  Latin, 
Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,   1901- 

Mary  Foster  Volentine. 

B.A.,  Adelphi  College,  1905;  Teacher,  Adelphi  Academy,  1898-1902; 
Teacher  of  Latin,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  Februar}',  1902- 


DEPARTMEXT    OF    MATHEMATICS. 

Arthur  C.  Perry. 

Teacher  of  Mathematics  and  Science.  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  Sep- 
tember, 1896-June,  1897. 

George  ]\Iorris, 

B.S.,  Rutgers  College,  1889;  Instructor  in  Rutgers  College  Preparatory 
School ;  Instructor  in  Science,  Brooklyn  Polytechnic  Institute ;  Har- 
mony School;  Principal  of  Public  School  at  Oceanic,  N.  J.,  1894-1896; 
Teacher  of  Mathematics,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,  1897- 
1904;    Chairman  of  Department,  1899-1904. 

Jane  Hudson  Dunham  Stone. 

East  Greenwich  Academy;  Teacher  in  Public  Schools  of  Rhode 
Island  and  New  Jersey;  Albany  Boys'  Academy;  Episcopal  Diocesan 
School  for  Young  Ladies,  Nevada;  Teacher  of  Mathematics,  Erasmus 
Hall  High  School,  April,  1898- 

KaTHERINE  I.   HOBGDON. 

A.B.,  Boston  University,  1893;  Teacher,  High  School,  Portland,  Conn., 
1893-1894;  Teacher  of  Mathematics  and  German,  Wellesley,  Mass., 
High  School,  1894-1897;  Graduate  Student,  Gottingen,  1897-1898; 
Teacher  of  ]\Iathematics,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,  1898- 

14 


210  Cfjroniclc"^  of  oSrai^niu^  l^all 

Louis  L.  Hooper. 

Teacher  of  Mathematics,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,  1898- 
Ma}',  1900;    Head  Master,  Washington  School  for  Boys. 

Frank  Dexter  Edgell. 

A.B.,  Amherst  College,  1893;  Teacher,  Siglar's  School,  1893-1895; 
Blair  Hall,  1895-1899;  Teacher  of  Mathematics,  Erasmus  Hall  High 
School,  Februar}',  1899- 

Mary  IMatilda  Stone. 

A.B.,  Barnard  College,  1896;  Teacher  in  Elementary  Schools,  Brook- 
lyn, 1898-1899;  Teacher  of  Mathematics,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School, 
February,  1899- 

Albert  Edward  King  -----  Chainiiaii  of  Department 
A.B.,  Harvard  University,  1897;  A.M.,  1898;  Graduate  Student,  Colum- 
bia University,  1 899-1 905  ;  Instructor  in  Seal's  School,  Plainfield,  N.  J., 
1898-1899;  Teacher  of  Mathematics,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  Sep- 
tember, 1899- 

WiLLiAM  Reuben  Lasher. 

Ph.B.,  St.  Lawrence  University,  1899;  Teacher  of  IMathematics,  Eras- 
mus Hall  High  School,  September,  1899- 

Walter  D.  Mapes. 

A.B.,  Williams  College,  1886;  Teacher  of  Mathematics  and  Elocution, 
Gambler,  Ohio,  1886-1887;  Williams  College,  1887-1888;  Instructor  in 
Mathematics,  West  High  School,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  1888-1889;  Instruc- 
tor in  Mathematics,  Latin  and  Greek,  Brooks'  Military  Academy, 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  1889-1890;  Head  of  Department  of  Mathematics, 
University  School,  Cleveland,  Ohio,  1890-1895;  Instructor  in  Math- 
ematics, Central  High  School,  Cleveland,  1897-1898;  Teacher  of  Math- 
ematics, Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  May,  1900- ;    Died,  July,  1901. 

Alice  Gertrude  Brickelmaipir. 

B.S.,  Cornell  University,  1899;  A.M.,  Columbia  University,  1900; 
Teacher,  Randolph-Cooley  School,  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  1900- 1 901 ;  Teacher 
of  Mathematics,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,   1901- 

George  Fay  Wilder, 

A.B.,  St.  Lawrence  University,  1897;  'i\\'icher  of  Mathematics  and 
Science,  Rutland,  Vermont,  English  and  Classical  Institute,  1897-1899; 
Teacher  of  Science,  Ogdensburg  Academy,  N.  Y.,  1 899-1901  ;  Erasmus 
I  (all  High  School,  Teacher  of  Mathematics,  September,  1901- 

Edith  Nichols  Putney. 

A.B.,  Smith  College,  1899;  Teacher  of  Mathematics,  Erasmus  Hall 
High  School,  I'cbruary,   1904- 

DEPARTMENT  OF  MODERN  LANGUAGES. 

Julia  Barclay  Dennis. 

Dayton  Normal  College,  1892;  Trenton  State  Model  School,  1893-1896; 
Law  Department,  New  York  University,  1903;  Teacher  of  German, 
Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  vSeptembcr,  1896- 


Cl^ronicle^  of  oEra^mu^  i^all 


211 


May  K.  Van  Benschoten. 

Teacher  of  German  and  French,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September, 
1896-April,  1898.    Married  Mr.  John  S.  Griggs,  April,  1898. 

Mary  Herbert  Holmes  _  _  _  Chairman  of  German.  Department 
S.B.,  Wellesley,  1894;  A.M.,  1898;  Teacher,  Woodward  Institute, 
Quincy,  Mass.,  1895- 1898;  Teacher  of  German,  Erasmus  Hall  High 
School,  P'ebruary,  1898- 

Anna  Howard  Adams  _  _  _  Cliairman  of  French  Department 
Ph.B.,  University  of  Michigan,  1890;  Teacher  in  High  School,  Hough- 
ton, Mich. ;  High  School,  Ann  Arbor,  Mich. ;  Washburn  College, 
Topeka,  Kansas;  Hillhouse  High  School,  New  Haven,  Conn.;  Teacher 
of  French,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  April,  1898- 

Elizabeth  W.  Eaton. 

University  of  Michigan;  Teacher,  Colorado  College;  Portland,  Ore.; 
Teacher  of  German,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,  1898-Sep- 
tember,  1902. 

Herman  Montague  Donner. 

International  Institute,  Zurich,  1883;  Teacher  in  Private  Schools  in 
New  York,  1894-1898;  Teacher  of  French  and  German,  Erasmus  Hall 
High  School,  February,  1899-June,  1900. 

Mary  E.  Young. 

Graduate  of  the  University  of  Michigan,  1898;  Teacher,  Ypsilanti  High 
School;  Studied  in  Europe;  Teacher  of  German,  Erasmus  Hall  High 
School,  September,  1899-September,  1901 ;  Leave  of  Absence,  Sep- 
tember, 1901-September,  1902;  Professor  of  Modern  Languages,  St. 
Lawrence  University,  1902- 1904.  Married  Mr.  F.  H.  DeGrout,  August 
17,  1904. 

Beatrice  Shaw. 

B.A.,  Vassar  College,  1897;  Graduate  Scholar  in  Modern  Languages, 
Vassar,  1897-1898;  Teacher,  Lyndon  Hall,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  1898- 
1900;   Teacher  of  French,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,  1900- 

Helen  Ludlow  Perkins. 

A.B.,  Adelphi  College,  1898;  Teacher  of  German,  Erasmus  Hall  High 
School,  September,  1901- 

Walter  a.  Wight. 

A.B.,  Harvard  University,  1899;  Instructor,  Polytechnic  Preparatory 
School,  Brooklyn,  1899-1901 ;  Teacher  of  French,  Erasmus  Hall  High 
School,  September,  1901- 

Elizabeth  Mary  White. 

Sorbonne,  Paris,  1884;  Franke  Stiftung,  Halle,  1885;  Privat-Docent, 
Berlin,  1886;  A.M.,  Bates  College,  1900;  Diplome  Superieur,  Al.  Fr., 
Paris,  1903 ;  Teacher  of  French  and  German,  Murdock  School,  Win- 
chendon,  Mass.,  1887-1894;  English  High  School,  Worcester,  Mass., 
1894-1902;  Teacher  of  French,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September. 
1902- 


212  Cfjronicles?  of  €ra^mu^  J^all 

Minnie  Estella  Sparks. 

B.L.,  Smith  College,  1893;  Teacher,  Holyoke,  Mass.,  High  School,  1894- 
1897;  Student,  University  of  Leipzig,  1898-1899;  Teacher,  Rome,  N.  Y., 
High  School,  1899-1903;  Teacher  of  German,  Erasmus  Hall  High 
School,  September,  1903- 


DEPARTMENT  OF  SCIENCE. 

Grace  A.  Van  Everen. 

Teacher  of  Science,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,  1896-  Octo- 
ber, 1898.  Married  Mr.  Bradley  Stoughton,  January  4,  1899;  Died, 
January  16,   1905. 

Sara  E.  Faunce. 

Teacher  of  Science,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,  1897-June, 
1900.     Alarried  Mr.  O.  E.  Ferry,  December,  1900. 

Ernest  Robert  von  Nardroff  -  _  _  _  Head  of  Department 
E.M.,  Columbia  University,  1886;  Honorary  Fellow  in  Mathematics, 
Columbia  University,  1888-1891  ;  D.Sc,  St.  Lawrence  Universit}',  1903; 
Assistant  in  Physics  and  Chemistry,  Brooklyn  Central  Grammar  School, 
1881-1882;  Teacher  of  Physics  and  Chemistry,  Brooklyn  Heights  Semi- 
nary, 1882-1887;  Teacher  of  Physics  and  Chemistry,  Model  School, 
Boston,  1887-1888;  Lecturer  on  Physical  Science,  Brooklyn  Evening 
High  Schools,  1888-1899;  Instructor  in  Physics,  Barnard  College,  1891- 
1897;  Head  of  Department  of  Science,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  Sep- 
tember, 1897- ;  Member,  New  York  Physics  Club,  New  York  xA.cadcmy 
of  Science ;  Fellow,  American  Association  for  the  Advancement  of 
Science;    Member,  American  Physical  Societ3\ 

Laura  Brownell. 

A.B.,  Vassar,  1895;  Teacher  of  Science,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School, 
February,  1898-February,  1900.  Married  Mr.  Chas.  E.  Woodbridge, 
1900. 

Frank  L.  Bryant. 

B.S.,  St.  Lawrence  University,  1891  ;  Principal,  Public  Schools,  Orange 
County,  N.  Y.,  1891-1893;  Cornell  University,  1893  and  1895;  Teacher 
of  Science,  Stamford,  Conn.,  High  School,  1893-1898;  Teacher  of 
Physics  and  Physiography,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September, 
1898- ;  President  Earth-Science  Section,  New  York  State  Science 
Teachers'   Association,    1906. 

Frederick  Wolcott  Huntington. 

E.M.,  C()lunil)ia  l^niversity,  1885;  Teacher  of  Physics,  Era?;mus  Hall 
High  Schocjl,  September,   1898- 

I'l.AXCHE   L.    NkKDHAM. 

A.B.,  Radcliffe  College,  1894;  A.M.,  1896;  Teacher,  Bloomfield,  N.  J.; 
Teaclu-r,  lu-asnuis  Hall  High  School,  September,  1898-June,  1900. 
]\Tarric(l   .Mr.  C".   11.   IJissell,  Sei)tcniber  24,  1901. 


€t)t(}\ndt^  of  €ra^mu0  l^all  213 

Richard  Ellsworth  Call. 

Cazenovia  Seminary,  1875;  A.B.,  Indiana  University;  A.M.,  1891 ; 
M.S.,  Iowa  Agricultural  College,  1892;  M.D.,  Louisville,  Ky. ;  Ph.D., 
Ohio  University,  1896;  Teacher,  Stonington,  Conn.,  1877-1879;  Super- 
intendent of  Schools,  David  City,  Neb.,  1879- 1881 ;  Geological  Survey, 
1881-1882;  Principal,  Moline,  III,  High  School,  1882-1884;  Instructor, 
University  of  Missouri,  1884;  Teacher,  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  High  School 
(hve  years)  ;  Louisville,  Ky.,  High  School;  Superintendent  of  Schools, 
Lawrenceburg,  Ind.,  1896-1898;  Teacher  of  Science,  Erasmus  Hall  Iligh 
School,  1898-1900. 

Margaret  Augusta  Doolittle. 

A.B.,  Vassar  College,  1893;  M.D.,  Boston  L^niversity  School  of  ]\Iedi- 
cine,  1898;  Hospital  work  and  graduate  study,  Philadelphia,  August 
1898-January,  1899;  Teacher  of  Science,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School, 
February,  1899- 

William  Jerome  Hancock. 

B.S.,  University  of  Maine,  1888;  M.S.,  1892;  Graduate  Student,  L^ni- 
versity  of  Maine,  1890;  Professor  of  Chemistry,  Antioch  College,  1890- 
1892,  and  1893-1899;  Teacher  of  Science,  Starkey  Seminary,  1892-1893; 
Student,  Harvard  College,  1894-1895;  Teacher  of  Chemistry,  Erasmus 
Hall  High  School,  September,  1899- 

R.  Wesley  Burnham. 

A.B.,  Amherst  College,  1895 ;  Science  Department,  High  School,  Glou- 
cester, Mass.,  1895-1899;  Teacher  of  Science,  Erasmus  Hall  High 
School,  November,  1899- 

Frank  John  Arnold. 

A.B.,  St.  Lawrence  University,  1896;  A.M.,  1900;  Teacher  of  Latin, 
Adams  Collegiate  Institute,  1895;  Principal  of  ^Matteawan,  N.  Y.,  High 
School,  1897;  Teacher  of  Science,  Medina,  N.  Y.,  High  School,  1898- 
1899;    Teacher  of  Physics,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,  1900- 

Jennie  W.  Geer. 

B.S.,  Cornell  University;  Teacher  of  Science,  High  School,  Plymouth, 
]\Iass.,  1892-1894;  High  School,  Gardner,  Mass.,  1898-1900;  Teacher 
of  Biology,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  February,  1900- 

Bkx  AIurray  Jaquish. 

B.S.,  Cornell  University,  1893 ;  Instructor,  The  Chicago  Academy,  1893- 
1896;  Instructor,  College  of  Physicians  and  Surgeons,  New  York  City, 
1896-1898;  Dr.  J.  Sachs'  School  for  Girls,  New  York  City,  1898-1900; 
Teacher  of  Chemistry,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,  1900- 

AIabel  Agnes  Young. 

B.A.,  University  of  Cincinnati,  1889;  Graduate  Student,  Radcliffe  Col- 
lege, 1894-1895;  Teacher  in  Tileston  Normal  School,  1890-1891 ;  High 
School,  Millbury,  Mass.,  1891-1894;  High  School,  Springfield,  Mass., 
1895-1900;  Teacher  of  Biology,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September, 
1900- 


214  Cl)i:Dnicle>^  of  aBra>5mu,i8?  l^all 

Carlotta  J.  Maury. 

Teacher  of  Science,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  February,  1901-Sep- 
tember,  1901. 

Lewis  Caleb  Williams. 

A.B.,  Kenyon  College,  1892;  A.M.,  1899;  Instructor  in  Natural  Science, 
Kenyon  Military  Academy,  1892-1896;  Cheltenham  Military  Academy, 
1896-1900;  Teacher  of  Physics,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  February, 
1901- 

Marion  Raymond  Brown. 

A.B.,  Wells  College,  1898;  A.M.,  Columbia  University,  1901 ;  Instructor 
in  Science  and  History,  Union  School,  Fishkill,  N.  Y.,  1898-1900; 
Teacher  of  Biology,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,  1901-1904, 
and  1906- 

Frank  Adison  Rexford. 

Brockport  Normal  School,  1900;  B.S.,  New  York  University,  1905; 
Teacher,  Bay  Shore  High  School,  1900- 190 1 ;  Teacher  of  Science, 
Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,  1901- 

EsTELLA  May  Vedder. 

B.S.,  Cornell  University,  1892;  Teacher,  St.  Johnsville  High  School; 
Cascadilla  School,  Ithaca,  N.  Y. ;  Yonkers  High  School;  Teacher  of 
Biology,  Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  September,  1902- 


MUSIC 

Joseph  Ambrose  Campbell. 

A.B.,   St.   Francis  Xavier   College,   1886;    Teacher  of   Music   in   Public 
Schools  of  Brooklyn,  1886-1902;    Erasmus  Hall  High  School,  1902- 


LIBRARY. 

Mary  Aurelia  Kingsbury. 

Graduate  of  Pratt  Institute  Library  School,  1899;  Assistant  Cataloguer, 
Library,  University  of  Penns\  Ivania,  1899;  Cataloguer,  Library,  Amer- 
ican Society  of  Civil  hjiginecrs.  New  York  City,  1899-1900;  Librarian 
of  I^rasnnis  Hall  High  School,  June,  1900- 


|)ri^es;  for  ^tfjletics; 

Athletics  have  been  a  branch  in  which,  of  a  necessity,  but  few  could  be 
directly  interested,  h^leven  men  only,  constitute  a  football  team;  nine,  a  base- 
ball team  ;  and  in  track  and  Held  events,  there  being  no  substantial  recognition 
for  effort  of  others  than  winners,  the  "good  athletes"  train  harder,  while  the 
less  meritorious  ones  drop  out,  discouraged.  The  benefit  of  athletics,  that  of 
physical  development  and  rela.xation  from  mental  work,  has  thus  become  con- 
fmed  to  the  few  rather  than  to  the  m.anv. 


Cfjronicle^  of  ^ra^sfmu-e?  I^all  215 

To  obviate  this  difficulty  it  was  suggested  that  perhaps  a  scheme  could  be 
devised  whereby  every  boy,  big  or  little,  athlete  or  otherwise,  might  become 
interested.  Such  a  scheme  must  insure  that  every  competitor  receive  some 
recognition;  or  better,  some  insignia  of  his  ability.  Another  condition  lay 
in  the  scholastic  merit  of  the  contestant.  In  order  that  the  "school"  should 
recognize  his  athletic  ability  in  the  form  of  a  prize,  he  must  have  a  merito- 
rious standing  in  his  lessons  as  well. 

The  solution  of  this  double  problem  has  been  accomplished,  and  its  result 
is  the  present  "Button  Contest"  of  Erasmus  Hall,  held  every  term. 

Four  designs  for  buttons  have  been  adopted,  popularly  known  as  the  Fresh- 
man, second  year,  third  year,  and  Senior  buttons.  The  wearing  of  a  button 
signifies  that  the  holder  has  not  only  "qualified"  in  certain  prescribed  athletic 
tests,  but  that  he  also  has  an  average  of  at  least  70  per  cent,  in  his  studies. 

Different  degrees  of  athletic  and  scholastic  ability  are  rewarded  by  bronze, 
silver,  and  gold  buttons.  The  silver  and  gold  buttons  thus  signify  that  the 
wearer  is  either  a  much  better  athlete  or  a  better  student,  or  both,  than  the 
wearer  of  a  bronze  button. 

The  system  used  is,  briefl\',  as  follows  :     Six  athletic  events  arc  prescribed, 
arranged  in  three  groups,  together  with  a  minimum  credit. 
Group  I. — 

Sixty  yard   dash,  minimum  credit,  8   seconds. 
Two  hundred  and  twenty  yard  run.  minimum  credit,  32  seconds. 
Group  II. — 

High  jump,  minimum  credit,  3   feet  3   inches. 
Broad  jump,  minimum  credit,  12  feet. 
Group  III. — 

Chinning  or  pull-up,  minimum  credit,  3  times. 
Twelve-pound  shot  put,  minimum  credit,  20  feet. 
The  contestant  chooses  one  event  from  each  group,  and  in  his  trial  the 
above  minimums  each  credit  him  with  15  points.  Should  his  record  be  just 
the  minimum  in  his  three  chosen  events,  his  total  athletic  ability  would  be  45 
points.  Should  his  record  be  better  than  the  above,  he  is  credited  accordingly 
from  a  carefully  computed  table  of  credits.  Thus  his  athletic  standing  is 
determined. 

Should  the  contestant  get  an  average  of  70  per  cent,  in  his  studies  (which 
is  the  minimum  scholarship),  his  total  athletic  and  scholastic  ability  is  45 
points.  But  if  his  report  shows  an  average  of  80  per  cent.,  all  over  the  min- 
inumi,  70,  or  in  this  case,  10,  is  added  to  the  athletic  record,  making  now  a 
total  of  55  points  to  his  credit.  In  awarding  the  prizes,  45  points  win  a  bronze 
button,  65  points  win  a  silver  button,  and  100  points  win  a  gold  button. 

In  this  way,  with  an  easy  athletic  minimum,  it  is  possible  for  almost  any 
boy  by  some  practice  to  get  a  bronze  prize,  if  his  school  work  is  satisfactory. 
The  contests  are  held  early  in  the  term  with  the  idea  of  stimulating  good  work 
in  the  class  room,  so  that  the  button,  which  is  only  half  assured  in  the  field, 
may  become  a  real  award  when  the  first  report  is  announced. 

The  pupil  of  high  scholastic  ability  has  by  this  method  an  opportunity  of 
winning  the  silver  or  the  gold  prize,  equal  to  that  of  the  excellent  athlete.  In 
fact,  in  the  last  contests,  October,  1905,  the  two  highest  totals,  each  of  which 
won  a  gold  button,  were  123  and  119  points.     The  123  boy  was  an  excellent 


2l6 


Cljrontclc-^  of  €ra>5niu^  l^all 


student,  with  an  average  of  96.4  per  cent.,  and  hardly  an  ordinary  athlete ;    the 
119  boy  was  an  excellent  athlete,  and  a  student  of  but  74  per  cent,  average. 

The  results  accomplished  are :  First,  a  prize  is  won  by  all  who  really  try, 
hence,  reward  for  effort;  second,  the  good  student  and  the  good  athlete  are 
on  a  par  as  to  chance;  fliird,  boys  are  led  to  study  in  order  to  insure  the  but- 
ton; fourth,  the  plan  attracts  over  seventy-five  per  cent,  of  all  our  boys,  a 
number  which  by  no  ordinary  means  would  ever  enter  athletics  or  receive  any 
of  their  benefits. 


Event.  Record.  Date. 

100  yards  dash.  Senior 10  3-5  sec.  May  14,  1903 

100  yards  dash.  Junior 10  3-5  sec.  May  13,  1905 

220  yards  run.  Senior 23  4-5  sec.  May  17,  1905 

220  yards  run.  Junior 23  4-5  sec.  May  13,  1905 

440  yards  run 52  3-5  sec.  June    4,  1904 

Half-mile  run  2  min.  6  sec.  May  27,  1904 

Mile  run    4  min.  52  sec.  May  14,  1903 

Running  high  jump 5  ft.  4  in.  May  2"/,  1903 

Running  broad  jump 22  it.  S  in.  ]\Iay  21,  1900 

Pole  vault  9  ft.  9  in.  June  14,  1905 

12-pound  shot  put 41  ft.  I  in.  May  28,  1900 

120  yards  high  hurdle 17  sec.  May  27,  1903 

220  yards  low  hurdle 26  3-5  sec.  May  27,  1903 

I  mile  relay 3  min.  34  4-5  sec.  Apr.  28.  1905 


Holder. 
Nobert  Hegeman. 
George  McNulty. 
E.  J.  O'Connor. 
George  McNulty. 
E.  J.  O'Connor. 
E.  J.  O'Connor. 
Nobert  Hegeman. 
C.  J.  Tafel. 
H.  O.  Tafel. 
Harold  Rogers. 
Frederick  Onken. 
George  Beavers. 
William  Conley. 
r  O.  V.  Korber. 

E.  B.  Hutchings. 

R.  McNulty. 

E.  J.  O'Connor. 


^racfe  Captains; 


1898 — Ch.\kles  Clacgett. 
1899 — Virgil  Lopkz. 
1900 — LeRov  B.  Vail. 
1901 — William  O'Donoghue. 


1902 — William  Conley. 
1903 — Charles  F.  Tafel. 
1904 — Ray  McNulty. 
1905 — Edward  J.  O'Connor. 


1906 — Edward  B.  Hutchings. 


1899 — Joseph  O'Sullivan. 
1900 — Henry  Kohlman. 
1901 — W.  O'Donoghue. 


J^ocfecp  Captains; 


1902— Benj.  Nichols. 

1 903 — J  OS  E  P  H    O '  Do  N  OG  H  U  E. 

1904 — (No  Team.) 


1905 — Charles  Beavers. 


€l)ronicIe^  of  oEraj^mu.ie?  Ipall 


217 


1897 — Virgil  Lopez. 
1898 — George  D.  Ford. 
1899 — Arthur  Kelly. 
1900 — Harold  McNulty. 


Jfoottjall  Captainsf 


1905- 


1901 — Harold  McNulty. 
1902 — Joe  O'Donoghue. 
1903 — Russell  Earle. 
1904 — Walter  Donovan. 
-Mathew  Black. 


1897 — David  Harrison. 
1898 — David  Harrison. 
1899 — Thomas  Lee. 
1900 — Harold  The  all. 


JliasietjaU  Captains; 


1905- 


1901 — Benj.  Nichols. 
1902 — Eugene  Van  Loan. 
1903 — John  W.  Gallagher. 
1904 — Clarence  Green. 
-Charles  Beavers. 


i^rabuating  J^onors;,  Crasimus;  J^all  J^igij  ^cftool 


1900 — Highest 

Highest 
1901 — Highest 

Highest 
1902 — Highest 

Highest 
1903 — Highest 

Highest 
1904 — Highest 
1905 — Highest 

Highest 


Average,  four  years,  Avice  M.  Watt. 
Average,  two  3'ears,  Margaret  M.  Robb. 
Average,  four  years,  Clarence  G.  Bachrach. 
Average,  two  years,  Emma  L.  Otterstrom. 
Average,  four  years,  Elva  L.  Porter. 
Average,  two  years,  Carrie  A.   Seifert. 
Average,  four   years,  J.   Melin   Wiley. 
Average,  two  years,  Eliz.  M.  Lee. 
Average,  four  years,  Emily  M.  Smith. 
Average,  four  years.  May  A.  Dooley — January, 
Average,  four  years,  Eliz.   Nitchie — June. 


tlTerm  CsfSap  3^vi}t  Winntvi 


Prizes  for  Essays. 

First,  Louis  H.  Pink. 
Second,  Bertha  M.  Irish. 


First,  Mary  E.  O'Leary. 
Second,  Gertrude  A.  Vass. 


Prises  for  Cover  Designs. 
February,   1899. 

First,  James  Brotherhood. 
Second,  Nellie  L.  Hart. 

June,  1899. 

First,  Edwin  A.  Guissinger. 
Second,  Andrew  Holmes. 


February,  1900. 
First,  Edna  Evans.  First,  Mary  E.  Guissinger. 

Second,  Clarence  Bachrach.  Second,  E.  Brown. 

Third,  Tessa  Kelly. 


2l8 


Cl^roniclcs?  of  aBta.s^mus"  I^all 


Prices  for  Essays. 

First,  Viola  Pike. 
Second,  Lauretta  Burns. 
Third,  Florence  Jones. 


Prises  for  Cover  Designs. 
June,  1900. 

First,  Anna  Foster. 
Second,  Louise  Green. 


First,  Mary  E.  O'Leary. 
Second,  Edith  R.  Mealley. 
Third,  Hoyt  P.  Simmons. 


February,  1901. 

First.  ]\L\bel  R.  Bartol. 
Second,  Robert  H.  Blake. 


First,  Harding  Johnson,  Jr. 
Second,  Clara  Knowlton. 
Third,  Louis  Bartlett. 


June  1901. 

First,  Hilda  ]\L\nsfield. 
Second,  Ida  Brown. 


First,  Edna  J.  Wakefield. 
Second,  Alice  Fuller. 
Third,  Faith  Chipperfield. 


February,  1902. 

First,  George  Renouard. 
Second,  Susan  B.  Townsend. 


First,  Susan  B.  Townsend. 
Second,  Charlotte  Harvey. 
Third,  Harding  Johnson,,  Jr. 


June,  1902. 

First,  Emma  L.  Brock. 
Second,  Theodore  Krombacii. 


First,  Allen  B.  Doggett,  Jr. 
Second,  Irma  Moritz. 
Third,  Susan  B.  Townsend. 


February,  1903. 

First,  Robert  H.  Blake. 
Second.  Laura  Stout. 


First,  Allen  B.  Doggett,  Jr. 
Second,  Portia  Patten. 
Third,  George  V.  Richardson. 


June,  1903. 

First,  Ida  Sicuro. 

Second,  Martha  L,  Bradt. 


February,  1904. 

First,  Rachel  Kniazinsky.  First,  Margaret  Flynn. 

Second,  Allen  B.  Doggett,  Jk.  Second,  ]\Iartha  L.  Bradt. 

Third,  Eleanor  Meakin. 


First,  Elmer  D.  Keith. 
Second,  Salem  Munyer. 
Third,  Genevieve  J.  Williams. 


June,  1904. 

First,  Gordon  B.  Dukes. 
Second,  Dorothy  Brown, 


arftroniclca  of  ^ra.gmui^  If  all 


219 


Prizes  for  Essays. 

First,  Hazel  I.  Pitfield. 
Second,  Elizabeth  Xitchie. 
Third,  Gordon  B.  Dukes. 


Prises  for  Cover  Designs. 

February,  1905. 

First,  Ida  Sicuro. 
Second,  John  M.  Relph. 


First,  Elmer  D.  Keith. 
Second,  Blanche  Sherman. 
Third,  Ralph  W.  Hall. 


June,  1905. 

First,  Gordon  B.  Dukes. 
Second,  Ida  Sicuro. 


First,  Burney  O.  Jackson. 
Second,  Chin  Chung. 
Third,  May  Doherty. 


February,  1906. 

First,  Jacob  Mehling. 
Second,  Johanne  de  Wolfe. 


3Jnbex 


PAGE 

Act  of  Legislature,  Establishing  Common  Schools 62 

Relative  to   Erasmus   Hall " 62 

Alumni  Aleeting   168 

Anniversary,  250th,  of  Charter  of  New  York I74 

Apparatus  in  1788 44 

Arrowsmith,  R.,  Letter  from 1 19-121 

Elected   Principal    118 

Assembly  Room,  Illustration 187 

Athletics' i57,  214-217 

Prizes  for    214-216 

Axtell,  Colonel    . 18 

Bartlett,  Dr.  Homer  Lyman 18,  162 

Address  of  140 

Biographical  Note  of 115 

Committee  on  Transfer   123 

Portrait   of    127 

Baseball  Captains  •- .  .   217 

Bates,  Theodora,  Letter  from 147 

Baxter,  J.,  References  to  Journal  of 47,  64 

Beecher,  Mark  Hopkins,  Biographical  Note 80 

Career   of    ']'] 

Portrait  of    79 

Bees    168 

Bergen,  J.  C,  House  of 2^ 

Berrien,   John    ]\I 47 

Beynor,  h^van 61 

Bibliographv     193 

Bill,  An  Old,  Illustration 72 

Board  of  Education,  Brooklyn 121 

Acceptance  of  Erasmus  Hall  by 123 

Resolution  of,  Relative  to  Transfer 123 

Boughton,   Willis    5 

Chronicles  of  Academy  by 15 

Organizer  Monday  Club    153 

Brush,  Egbert 2n 

Burr,   Aaron    31 

Button  Contest 158 

By-Law  of  Limitation  46 

Campbell,  William  H..  Administration  of 74-84 

Address  at  Centennial  Celebration 108 

Biographical   Note    78 

Early  Career  of    '/'] 

Portrait  of    75 

Teacher    70 

"  Captives  "  of  Plautus  Presented 144 

Carmen    Saeculare    189 

Carolinas,  The,  Students  from 45 

Centennial   Anniversary    107-1 17 

Chancellor,  William  E.,  Letter  from 145 

Chapel  of  Reformed  Dutch  Church 144 

Charter  of  Erasmus  Hall  Academy 34 

Church,  Reformed  Dutch,  of  Elatbush 21 

Preachers   of    22 

Purchase  Portion  of  Academy  Lot 66 

Clarkson,  General  3ilathew   45 

Clinton  Academy    '^2) 

Clinton,  George  31 

Signer  of  Charter  34 


2.22 


Cf)raniclej6?  of  aeraj^mu^ef  l^all 


PAGE 

Clowes,  Timothy,  Principal  63 

Columbia  College,  Overtures  made  to 63 

Commemoration  Poem   9-12 

Committee  on  Transfer   123 

Commons,  First  Sale  of 47 

Second  Sale  of  56 

Common  School  Fund  Created 63 

Conduct  and  Behavior  of  Students  (1788) 40-43 

Cooper,  Joab  G 61 

Court-House,  Third,  1796,  Illustration 22 

Cross-Roads,  The 21 

Davenport,  Henry  B 84 

Discipline    79 

In  Village  School  143 

Rules  for,  in  1788 38 

Ditmas,  Abraham  I.,  Portrait  of 124 

Ditmas.  John  H.,  Portrait  of 128 

Dix,  John  A 90 

Doggett,  Allen  B 5.  1  ji,  173 

Dramatic  Society    1 58 

Duer,  William  Alexander   136 

Biographical  Note    46 

Dutch  Language  Prohibited   143 

Earle,   Willis    165 

Ellison,  Gabriel  140 

Erasmian,   Established 165 

Cover,  Illustration   167 

Extracts,  "  Freshman  Catechism "   166 

"  How  do  they  go  down  to  Lunch  " 168 

Erasmus,  Desiderius  :s^,  186 

Holbein  Picture 163 

Portrait   of,    Purchased 84 

Erasmus  Hall,  Building  Remodeled  135 

In  1824,  Illustration 70 

In  1826,  Illustration  25 

In  1835,  Illustration  81 

In  1896,  Illustration 135 

Erasmus  Hall  Academy,  Absorbs  Village  School 60 

Books  used  at,  in  1833 70 

Building  Erected 3^ 

Charter,  Application  for    3- 

Illustration    35 

Chartered 3^-34 

Chronicles  of   15-^29 

Cost  of  Building 47 

Course  of  Instruction   69 

Dancing  School  at  89 

Debt  of   47 

Deed  of  Transfer  124 

Departments  in  1843   89 

Discipline     79 

Exhibitions  at 32,  80,  95 

Female  Department  Organized 65 

Female  Pupils  at  58 

Financial  Condition  in  1808 61 

Financial  Condition,  1850 96 

Financial  Condition,  1889 II7 

h^ounding  of  28 

Governess  Appointed 65 

Grading  Instituted  at 9- 


Cfjronicle^  of  a£ra>6?mu^  i^all  223 

PAGE 

Erasmus  Hall  Academy — Continued. 

Gymnasium  Established  at   117 

Hostile  xA.ttitude  Toward  47,  89 

Lectures  at : 85 

Library   (1788)    44 

Addition  to 91 

Lot,  Purchased   31 

Portion  Sold    66 

Meteorological  Observations  Instituted    96 

Military    Department    Organized 97 

Named    32 

Organized    30 

Popularity  of,  in  1825   74 

In  1846 92 

In  Southern  States 45 

Porch  Built 69 

Regents'  Examinations  Instituted  at 100-104 

Registration  in  1837 83 

Rented  to  O'Bleniss 59 

Reserve  Fund 100 

Rules  for  Government 38 

Subscribers  to  Building  Fund 30 

Teachers'  Training  Course  Instituted 78 

Transferred   1 18-129,  139 

Trustees,  Board  of,  Organized 34 

Tuition,  in   178S    43 

In  1859 96 

In  1868 99 

Valuation  of,  in  1896 124 

Visited  bv  Traveler  in  1791 , 45 

"  Wing  "'Erected   69 

Erasmus  Hall  High  School 133-191 

Additions  to  Building 150 

Basketball  at    154 

Chronicles  of   133 

Colors  Adopted 144 

Cottages  on  Bedford  Avenue,  Illustration 151 

Department  Receptions  at 170 

Faculty  of  203-214 

Art,  Department  of 203-204 

Commercial  Department 204 

English,  Department  of 204-206 

History,  Department  of 206-207 

Latin  and  Greek,  Department  of 207-209 

Library     214 

^Mathematics,  Department  of 209-210 

Modern  Languages,  Department  of 210-212 

]\Iusic    214 

Science,  Department  of 212-214 

Football  at 154,  157 

Glee  Clubs  at 154 

Graduating  Exercises    174 

Graduating  Honors 217 

Greek  Letter  Societies 150 

Half-Day  Classes  at 150 

History,   Two    Periods 17 

Inspection  of  Remodeled  Building , 144 

Local  Committee   137,   148 

Location  of    17 

Mandolin  Club  at 154 


224  CJjromclcj^  of  aSra^mus?  l^all 


PAG?: 
Erasmus  Hall  High  School — Continued. 

Medal,  for  Athletics,  Illustration 143 

For  Scholarship,  Illustration   139 

]\Iedals   145 

IMonday  Club  Organized   153 

Opening  of.  Number  of  Pupils 137 

Philately  Club   154 

Pin,    Adopted    145 

Illustration    139 

Preparations  in  Summer  of  1896 137 

Promotion  by  Subjects  173 

Teachers,  Nomination  of 137 

The  New  Regime  135 

Unter  Uns    154 

Examinations 39,  60 

Regents'  Instituted  100 

Exhibitions 80,  95 

First  Public   ^2 

Facult}',    Clubs    170 

Dinners 169 

Chairmen  of   169-170 

Farmers  Accept  Pupils  as  Boarders 46 

Ferris,  John  ^I 162 

At  Centennial  Celebration   109 

Biographical  Note 116 

Letter  from 125-127 

Portrait  of    125 

Female  Seminary  Proposed 83 

Ferguson,  James,  Principal 86 

Finley,   President    185 

Fire  Drill 154 

Illustration    155 

Flatbush,  Cross-Roads  at    .  .  .  .• 17 

Dutch  Houses  at 23 

Farms  of  17 

P^our  Corners,  Illustration   2^ 

In  Repul)lican  Times 21 

In  Revolutionary  Times 18 

Main  Road  at 17 

Map  of  Old 16 

Reformed  Dutch  Church  of 2t 

Settlement  of  i/ 

Theological  Seminary  at 51 

Foreword    6 

Football  Captains   217 

Four   Corners,    Illustration 23 

France,   Pupils   from 45 

French  Teacher  Appointed.  1792 48 

General  Organization    161 

Genet,    Joshua,    Examined 58 

Georgia,  Pupils  from 45 

Giles,  Aquila,  Elected  Clerk 34 

Komance  of   18 

Trouble  with    Piii)il 56 

Government    of   Academx- 38 

Rules    for    43 

(jrading    Instituted   at    Academy- 92 

Graduating  Honors   217 

Granada.    Island   of.    Pupils    from 45 


((Tfjroniclc.i^  of  oEra^mu.i^  l^all  225 

PAGE 

Greek    Play    158 

Picture  of  Group   from 1 59 

Greene,   John,    Address   of 185 

Gunnison,  Dr.  Walter  Balfour,  Career  of • 138 

Letter    from     148 

Portrait   of    132 

Portrait   of,   by   Alexander 165 

Views  on  Education   138 

Gymnasium    Established    117 

Hamilton,  Alexander    31 

Harter,   Eugene   W 5 

Chronicles  of  High  Scb.ool,  by I33 

Hasbrouck,    Jared,    Principal 100 

Hawley,  ^Nlary  W.,  Principal 121 

Hegeman.  Adrian,  with   Portrait 64 

Hegeman,  Joseph,  Born  at  the  Academy 64 

Hockey  Captains    217 

Howard,  Erskine    97 

Portrait  of   98 

Howard,  William  H..   Principal 97 

Portrait  of   98 

Hunter,  John  Ward , 49 

Hurley,   William   S 173 

Invitation.    looth   Anniversary  Celebration,   Illustration 103 

Jamaica,  Island  of.  Pupils  from 45 

Jones,   ]\Iaria,  Eirst   Governess 65 

Kellogg,  Jonathan  W.,  Administration  of 65-74 

Education  of    65 

Portrait  of   67 

Salary    of    74 

Lafayette,    ]\Iarquis    64 

Lectures,    Committee    on 160 

Lefferts,   Jacob    20 

Lefferts,  John,  Biographical   Xote 71 

Portrait  of   122 

LefTerts,  Peter,  First  Treasurer  of  Academy 34 

Letter  Found  in  Partition,  Illustration '/2i 

Letters,  Old,  Quotations  from 85-88 

Library    44,  91,  162 

Linn,    Dr.    W^illiam    45 

Visit  to  the  Academy,   1795 55 

Livingston,    Brockholst    31 

Livingston,  John   H.,   Administration  of 2>7-'i^ 

At  New  Brunswick  -^2 

Biography  of   28 

Education  of   29 

Elected    Professor    29 

Portrait  of   14 

Preparation  for  Work   47 

Residence  of,  in  Flatbush 27 

Resignation  as  Principal    49 

Theological  Seminary  of   51 

Llo_\-d,   Abigail    Lefferts 20 

Portrait    of    21 

Lloyd,   Bateman,    Portrait 20 

Purchases  School  Building 60 

Romance  of    20 

Local  Committee,  High  School,  ^^lembers  of 203 


2-^6  €l^ronicIe>^  of  €ra^mu^  l^all 

PAGE 

Lott,  Jeremiah  (I),  Biographical  Note io8 

Death  of   99 

Portrait  of   126 

Lott,  Jeremiah    (II),  Portrait 97 

Lott,  Johannes  E.,  Biographical  Note 3^ 

Home  of   27 

Lott,  John  A 99 

Biographical  Note    119 

Portrait  of   104 

Lott,  John  S 91 

Lott,  John  Z 140,  162 

Biographical  Note    121 

Committee  on  Transfer 123 

Custodian  of  Charter ; s;^ 

Portrait  of   128 

Resolution  of  122 

Lowe,  Beaumann    62 

Lowe,  Rev.  Peter , 23 

Administration  of 61-63 

Biographical  Note    63 

Portrait  of   61 

Mack,  Eli  T.,  Portrait  of 99 

Principal    99 

^IcKelway,  Dr.  St.  Clair 112 

Manual  Labor  School , 83 

^lartense,  Adrian  V.,  Biographical  Note 118 

Portrait  of   126 

^laryland,   Students   from 45 

Maxwell.  Henry  W.,  Gifts  of 165 

Alember  of  Local  Committee 148 

Maxwell,  William  H.,  Address  of 181 

City    Superintendent    149 

Meade,   Airs.   General 66 

Meade,  Rebecca  Paulding 66 

Melrose  Hall 19 

Meteorological   Observations    96 

Military  Department  Organized 97 

Militia,   Exemption  of   Pupils 43 

^Monday  Club  1 53 

Mowatt,  Anna  Cora 18 

Neefus,    Peter    1 94 

New  Building,  Block  Plan  of,  Illustration 191 

Corner-stone.   Contents  of    181 

Laying  of   174 

Picture  of  175 

Program  of    1 78 

Interior  View  of  Assembly  Room,  Illustration 187 

Letter  from  C.  B.  Snyder 174 

Principal  Elevation,  Illustration 179 

Prizes  for,  Plans  of 149 

View  Across  Quadrangle,   Illustration 183 

New  Orleans,  Pupils  from 45 

Noon  Recess,  Lawn  at.  Illustration 166 

O'Bleniss,  Albert,  Appointed  Teacher 48 

Contract   with    59 

Death  of   64 

Marriage  of   64 

Salary   of    56 

0'P)ricn,  Denis  R.,  Latin  Poem  bv 190 

Old  Attic  V/indow,  Illustration. .'. 48 


CJ^ronicIe^  of  €ra^mu^  i^all  22-7 

PAGE 

Orchestra    154 

Paulding,    Emma    66 

Paulding,   Lieutenant   Hiram 66 

Penne.v,  Joseph,  Biographical  Note v 86 

Portrait  of   85 

Principal,    1819    63 

Principal,    1841    84 

Pennsylvania,  Pupils   from 45 

Portugal,   Pupils   from 45 

Preface    5 

Program  of  Exercises,  Illustration loi 

Promotion  b}-  Subjects 1/3 

Punishments,   1788   39 

Raymond,  C.  B ^1 

Regents,  Establish  Teachers'  Training  Course 79 

Examinations   Instituted  by    100-104 

Eorm  for  Annual  Report  Adopted 62 

Literar\'  Fund  Created  72 

Amount  of,  in  1834-5 12> 

Report  of  Committee  on  Visitation,  178S y] 

Report  of  Committee  on  Visitation,  1790 45 

Report  of  Committee  on  Visitation,  1795 55 

Report  of  Committee  on  Visitation,  1796 56 

Report  of  Committee  on  Visitation,  1801 58 

Report  of  Committee  on  Visitation,  1846 90 

Resolution  of,  Relating  to  Transfer 125 

Registration   in   1896 I37 

Resolution  Relating  to  Transfer 122-125 

Rewards  to  Pupils,  1788 39 

Roosevelt,  John    56 

St.   Croix,   Pupils   from 45 

St.  Thomas,  Island  of.  Pupils  from 45 

Schaffer,    Miss    92 

School   Bell,   Illustration 165 

School    Buttons,    Illustration 158 

School-House,  Village    24 

Master,   Duties   of 24 

Schools,  Act  Establishing  Common 62 

Schoonmaker,   Katherine   E ']'] 

Schoonmaker,  Rev.  Martinus 22,,  77 

vSchoonmaker,  ^Michael   56.  60,  86 

Schoonmaker  Tavern    22 

Seminary,  Theological    29 

Sexton,    Abbie    97 

Shepherd,    Edward    48 

Sherrill,  Henry   123 

Skinner,  Chas.  M 5,  8 

Snyder,    C.    B 174 

Stewardess   Appointed 107 

Strong,  J.  Paschal   108 

Strong.  Mrs.  Robert  Grier 112 

Strong,  Robert  Grier,  Administration  of 104-118 

Biographical  Note   109 

Death  of   118 

Portrait  of   105 

Strong,  Thomas  M.,  Appointed  to  take  Observations 96 

Biographical  Note   107 

Death  of   99 

Portrait  of   120 

Stryker  Homestead   24 


228  4rf)rDnicIc,0  of  oEraj^mus?  l^all 

PAGE 

Students,  Boarding  with  Farmers 46 

Exemption  from  Militia  Service 43 

Stu yvesant.  Governor   17 

Suydam,  J.   Howard    112 

Swanstrom,  J.   E 143 

Sweeney,  Mildred  T 5,  12 

Silvester,   Peter    y] 

Teachers  of  Erasmus  Hall  Academy 197-202 

Qualifications    of    58 

Question  of  Authoritv   59-  61 

Rules  for.  1788 ' \     38 

Teachers  of  Erasmus  Hall  High  School 203-214 

Term    Essay    158 

Prize    Winners    217-219 

Theological    Seminary    51 

Thompson,  J.  \V 6t.  77 

Tod,  John  45,  48,  55 

Tortola,  Island  of.  Pupils  from 45 

Track,   Captains    217 

Records     216 

Transfer,  Deed  of   124 

Resolutions  Relating  to   122-125 

Transitional  Period,  1818-1823  63-64 

1839-1843   84-88 

1860-1879    97-104 

Troup,  George   55.   136 

Trustees,  of  Acadenw,  By-Law  of  Limitation 46 

Call   Notice,   Illustration    69 

Charter  Members  194 

Clerks  of  Board   194 

Election  of  New  Members  45.  46 

Letter  to  Dr.  Livingston   50 

IMake  Overtures  to  Columbia  College 63 

Members,  List  of   195-197 

Official  Board  of,  1896  125 

Original  Number    45 

Parliamentary  Rules  Adopted  by 46 

Petition  for  Funds  for  Teaching  Philosophy 56 

Petition  to  Raise  Mone}-  by  Lottery 58 

Presidents  of  the  Board   193 

Treasurers  of  the  Board   T94 

Tuition,    1788   43-44 

i8t9    63 

T859    96 

1868    99 

'J  urner.  Miss  Kate  E.,  Portrait  of 171 

Vacations,    1788    40 

Van  Buren  Inn   27 

Vanderbilt,  Gertrude  Lefferts 65.  ']'] .   t  13 

Vanderbilt,  Judge  John,  Biographical  Note 117 

Portrait    of    100 

Vanderbilt,  Senator  John   21.  31.  34,  58 

Vanderveer,  Dr.  Adrian,  Biographical  Note 102 

Home  of  27 

Portrait  of   i  M 

Van  Kleek,  I<:iizabeth   94 

Van  Kleek,  Ivmnie   94,  96 

Van   Kleek,    Marv    94 


€f}ronicIe^  of  oEra^mu^  l^all  229 

PAGE 

Van  Kleek,  Richard  Davis,  Administration  of ^9-97 

Biographical  Note    9i 

Portrait    of    ^7 

Van  Kleek,  Richard  L,,  Portrait  of • 90 

Van  Kleek,  Virginia   94 

Van  Twillcr,  Wouter   I7 

Village   School    60 

Vose,    Anna    F 77 

Wanse}',  Henry,  Visit  to  E.  H.,  1794 53 

Washington,  George    23 

Weather  Report,   Illustrations iio-iii 

Wells,  Rev.  Cornelius  L.,  Address  of,  at  Centennial 108 

Address    at    Transfer 140 

Biographical  Note    1 19 

Portrait    of    123 

Werner,  Mrs.  John   107 

West  Indies,  Pupils  from 45 

Wilson,  Dr.  Peter,  Administration  of 52-61 

Appointed  Teacher    48 

Biography  of 52-54 

Condition  of  School  Under 54 

Custodian  of  Professorship  Fund 51 

Elected  Principal   52 

Instrument  of  Agreement 48-49 

Portrait  of   52 

Resignation  of,  as  Principal 60 

Resignation  of,  as  Teacher 56 

Wiggins   Inn    27 

Wurster,    Mayor    144 

Young,  Richard,  Address  at  Laying  of  Corner-stone 185 

Address  at  Transfer  140 

Chairman  of  Local  Committee 148 

Connection  with  Transfer    123 

Gifts    of    162 

Zabriskie,  Dr.  J.  B.,  Biographical  Note 92 

Death  of   96 

Portrait    of    95 

Zabriskie,  Dr.  J.  L 104,  140 

Connection  with   Transfer    121 

Death  of   123 

Portrait  of   124 

Zabriskie,  Jeremiah  Lott,  Letter  from 93 

Portrait  of   93 

Zabriskie  Homestead    23 


9        1 


